2023 La Marea "Cachudo - Pierce Ranch Vineyard" San Antonio Valley Arinto

While being given a proprietary name due to legal USA label reasons, this is made from the Arinto grape, which is indigenous to Portugal. La Marea are the I. Brand Family's Iberian peninsula wines. The nose is fat and a little waxy, there's a wide breadth here, and a lot of it is very savory with soft tree fruit buried underneath, white pepper and neutral oak mingling with apricots, white plums, and white peaches. The palate is a little weighty, with a really nice and silky mouthfeel. The fruit is a little tart at first, but as the acidity kicks in they sweet up slightly. More apricots and peaches but this time they're fresh and juicy, there's a soft minerality in the finish and the neutral oak comes back in with a little bit of barrel roundness. This is a really fun wine, especially at this price-point and something for people to try that who want a little bit more structure and interest over fruit.