Revisiting Some Delicious Arizona Wines

I've been visiting Arizona for 10 years now, and I feel like I'm just scratching the surface.

As an East Coaster, the desert wilderness intrigues me, and I spend as much time as possible out there in nature. 

Over the holidays, I spent a week in Arizona, and I got in some good hiking in the Superstition Wilderness, east of Phoenix. Although the weather was cold and rainy (for Arizona), and the conditions frequently challenging, I was rewarded with some epic views and great memories.

As a lover of many Arizona wines, I made an effort early in my trip to stock up on some wines from some of my favorite Arizona producers. I've visited Page Springs Cellars in the Verde Valley (and written about them here) and Dos Cabezas in Sonoita before (and written about them here). I always like checking in on these producers, and the batch of wines I picked offered lots of holiday deliciousness and cheer.

See my notes below...


2018 Page Springs Cellars Vino del Barrio Blanca - USA, Arizona
$16
Peachy, guava-rich nose with lychee and lots of flowers and honey. Medium-bodied, creamy texture but surprising acidity. Lots of rich, tropical fruit (white peach, guava, nectarine, lychee) with a good mix of yellow flowers, spicy mint and white pepper. Creamy and plump but also salty and bright. Lots of fun. A mix of Malvasia Bianca, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Vermentino, Colombard, Chardonnay, Roussanne and Ugni Blanc. (87 points)

2017 Page Springs Cellars Counoise Rosé House Mountain Vineyard - USA, Arizona
$28
Deep copper color. Subdued a bit on the nose, but does show some white flower and nettle notes on top of white peach and wild strawberry. Plump, punchy but crisp on the palate with fleshy strawberry and white cherry tones. Nice creaminess and acidity combination, and there’s a good dose of nettle, white pepper and oregano. Subtle and understated, but it’s quite pleasant. (87 points) 

2018 Page Springs Cellars Mule's Mistake - USA, Arizona, Cochise County
$16
Medium ruby color. The nose shows juicy cherries, strawberries, along with pepper, cinnamon, earthy and rose petal notes. Zesty and crisp with light tannins, I always love this wine’s fresh, zippy, red-fruited, spicy appeal. Tangy strawberry, red apple peel, with some pepper, mint, earthy tones. Bright, fun, energetic stuff. A fun, funky blend of Grenache, Carignan, Counoise, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Malvasia Bianca and Colombard. (88 points) 

2016 Page Springs Cellars El Serrano - USA, Arizona
$33
Bold nose of plums, black cherries and dark currants, along with black pepper, leather, cocoa, anise and magic marker. Medium-bodied (13%) with smooth but structured tannins, and fresh acidity. Plums, currants, black cherries, the food is generous but fresh, laced with smoky earth, pepper, anise, cocoa, roasted chestnut and violets. Yummy stuff for sure, but also complex and shows lots of depth. I’d love to see this in two years or so. (90 points) 

2014 Dos Cabezas Wine Works El Norte - USA, Arizona, Cochise County

$25
Warm and spicy aromas, smoky herbs, pepper, wet earth and creosote notes mix with cherries and raspberries. Juicy and smooth on the palate, rich but still fresh. Raspberries, plums and cherries, the fruit is suave and complex, and tossed well with earth, clay, pepper and sagebrush notes. Integrated, delicious, I love this wine. Mourvedre, Garnacha, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Counoise. (90 points) 

2018 Page Springs Cellars Vino de la Familia - USA, Arizona, Cochise County
$25
Juicy and plummy on the nose with black cherries, and roses, violets, clay, pepper and herbs. The acidity is really fresh on the palate, soft tannins, and tangy black cherry and plum fruit – the balance rocks. Roses, violets, sweet coffee, earth. Smooth, fun, balanced, inviting. Syrah, Petite Sirah, Teroldego, Malvasia Bianca. (88 points)