Willcox wines
Aridus Wine Company – Finally Visiting and Tasting their Wines in Person
Background
As a wine writer and a recent transplant to Arizona, I knew there were roughly 150 plus wineries in Arizona, with approximately 80% of all the wines produced using Willcox grapes. Decided I needed to understand the area and ventured off to meet a few of the wineries/winemakers and of course taste the wines. Surprisingly I have not been able to find many of the Arizonan wines in local bottle shops or retail stores.
Willcox AVA Background
The Willcox AVA is the largest in Arizona and encompasses 833 square miles in southern Arizona.
Map from University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
The length ranges from 40 to 45 miles, running north and south and the width averaging between 15 to 25 miles wide east to west. It is a large flat valley (or playa/bench) with an average elevation of most vineyards being 4,200 to almost 5,000 feet elevations. The Willcox Playa is sitting between the Dragoon Mountains to the west reaching 7,500 feet and the Chiricahua with the highest point 8,000 feet and Dos Cabezas Mountains 7,500 feet to the east. The highest mountain peak is in the northeast at 8,100 feet. With the high mountains surrounding the high valley floor, the diurnal temperature swings (daytime to nighttime) can average between 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit. This cooling down feature from the mountain air sinking to the basin, is a hallmark in preserving acidity in the grapes.
The land is a combination of sandy-gravelly, alluvial and volcanic loam soils which are ideal for vineyard sustainability. The Willcox AVA was designated in September 2016. Many indigenous people occupied the land like the Chiricahua Apache’s including the well-known leaders Cochise and Geronimo.
The Winery
As the title alludes to “visiting in person” is that I had previously tasted their wines both in California and in Arizona but had not met with them. This was one of the key appointments on my itinerary for this trip. Previous stories have been on their Syrah and Graciano with the Graciano making my annual list of Best Wines tasted in 2024.
Photo from Aridus Wine Company
Met with Jef Steben, their winemaker for the last two and a half years with Scott Dahmer, the winery owner. We met at their standalone tasting room at 145 N Railroad Ave in Willcox, AZ. They also have another beautiful tasting room in Scottsdale, AZ at 7173 E Main St.
Photo from Aridus Wine Company
The conversation started out similar to a few previous ones with other wineries discussing the AMA (Active Management Area) that was designated by the Arizona Department of Water Resources to preserve groundwater supplies, address severed land subsidence and stop earth fissures caused by over-extraction. The issue for Willcox AVA, that being registering for well water rights as to obtain water, everyone must drill wells in to a depth of 420 feet. There is conflict with the valley ranchers who reportedly have an estimated one million to one million and a half head of cattle consuming an extraordinary amount of water. The cattle ranches are “gobbling” up land to increase their ranches and herds. Grape growers in the AVA use a fraction of the water but are strictly regulated. For more information you can read: https://www.azwater.gov/ama/willcox-ama . The irrigation freeze (with some wineries grandfathered) prohibits entirely new acreage being planted. Landowners can only irrigate acres there were legally watered between 2019 and 2024. The crux of the issue is that lactating cow’s consume 25-35 gallons of water per day, beef cows 6-15 gallons per day and bulls require 10-15 gallons per day year-round. Vineyards in the heat of the summer require 5-8 gallons and with a drip system can get by with only 2 gallons a day, being watered 2-3 times a week. With vineyards being dormant in the winter there is a large disparity in consumption with the wineries being shortchanged in this archaic mandated ruling by the government. More later on this topic.
Back to wine! The discussion then centered on Jef’s enology degree from UC Davis in Fermentation Science and subsequent work experience at various wineries. Jef is an extremely experienced winemaker and knowledgeable in his craft. Scott mentioned that the vineyard was planted in 2015 in white wines and in 2018 they introduce their red vines. Today on the 40-acre land, they have 33 acres planted in vineyards in mostly volcanic composition soil. The vineyard is approximately 5,200 feet elevation and is one of the highest if not the highest in Willcox AVA. Being at this altitude provides a cooler climate than the bench (valley) of between 10-15 degrees.
We went through a “limited tasting” by my desire, due to timing and wanting to narrow the scope of wines to be tasted. Currently in their lineup they have the following white wines: Malvasia Bianco, Oasis (blend), Sauvignon Blanc, Scott’s Chardonnay and Viognier. The red wine line up is more extensive with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Tempranillo, Graciano Port and BBB Word Unsaid.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We settled on a limited number of wines to be tasted and evaluated each wine, which we promptly rated each as delicious. The first two being current offerings of white wine selections. The first wine was called OASIS a special blend that Jef proudly pours of Malvasia and Muscat and one other “secret varietal”. This is your patio pounder first possessing a bright and clean look, with a bouquet of floral aromas. To be served cool and can be paired with just about anything!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Up next was the 2024 Sauvignon Blanc with its true varietal characteristics of grapefruit, lime and passion fruit. A truly delightful wine and one to be paired with seafood and other selected dishes.
The third white wine will be available in October 2026, that being the Viognier (no picture). This was aged in a stone vat providing texture and nuances not necessarily found in Viognier yet still capturing key aromatics of the varietal. Those include the dominant soft apricot and honeysuckle. Once on the palate, stone fruit and melon gently coated the palate and yet the acidity and uplifting qualities were still present.
Next up was the 2024 Merlot (no picture). An extremely smooth, dark and lovely Merlot for sipping while sitting next to a fire. At this point in the tasting/discussions, what hit me was that while using the dump bucket, as I had two more meetings and some significant driving still to do, I felt extremely guilty as each wine simply got better and better!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This fourth wine, 2024 Malbec tied for the best scores of the tasting hitting all the key characteristics of the varietal. This again will be released in October 2026. Dark and juicy with an undeniable purple hue in the glass and crossed between a fine waltz and bar room brawl on the palate. Delicious and full of energy and one to get right away!
While the last, after much discussion about the 8th Annual International Cabernet Franc Competition coming up in March in 2027, Scott insisted I try their 2024 Cabernet Franc. While I created the event and am the host, I don’t judge in the competition. Just on the aroma alone, I would declare this wine a real contender for an excellent award (the actual competition being a blind event, so I am not influencing anyone!). This had a similar pedigree like the Malbec being rough and tumble and yet elegant and graceful. I have a friend coming the following week from Texas and bought a bottle to share with him when here. We, or more specifically I was so taken back by the quality of the wine, I didn’t capture a picture. Suffice it to say this would be another one to get upon release.
In conclusion and rushing out of the meeting as it extended the allotted time by over an hour, I was off to another winery. Upon my next visit to Aridus Wine Company, I will allow a lot more time to savor and enjoy their exquisite wines.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com