AROMAS: The 2023 Señor Tallos doesn’t so much open as unfurl — like someone rolling out a Persian rug woven from ripe nectarines, dried apricot strips, and a dusting of ginger spice. There’s a kombucha-esque hum here too, but without the beard-and-beanie sourness — more like a ginger infusion poured by someone who actually likes you. A waft of dried fynbos drifts through, semi-sweet and slightly spicy, before the whole thing takes a sharp left into pink musk sweets and orange sherbet.

PALATE: On the palate, it’s a sun-drenched orchard in liquid form — oranges so vivid you half-expect to find Tuscan hills hiding in the glass. Then, out of nowhere, comes the herbal counterpoint: honeybush and rooibos tea, steeped to just the right point of swagger. The skin-contact tannins don’t slam the door — they just lean against the frame, making you aware they’re there, tugging gently at the edges of your mouth in a dry-but-enticing way.

The finish lingers like an encore: bitter-orange zest, warm herbs, and that sly tannic grip that keeps you coming back. It’s distinctive, unapologetic, and wired with the kind of precision that makes you wonder why anyone would ever stop making it.