We love winemakers bold enough to brave rugged, extreme conditions for great wine. That’s Giorgio Flessati, and his new El Tambo Viognier is proof. Named for the small town near the vineyards, El Tambo is aromatic, soft and rounded, featuring a lush palate brimming with peach, apricot spice and a touch of minerality.

When Viña Falernia founder Aldo Olivier and his cousin Giorgio decided to make wine in Chile’s unforgiving Elqui Valley, many called them crazy. High in the Andes, next to the Atacama Desert, this region is as isolated as it gets. Being so far from Santiago makes logistics extremely difficult, as does the perilous road to get there. But the rewards are worth it.

Viña Falernia was the first winery in the Elqui Valley and remains one of its top estates. Giorgio is an expert in high-altitude winemaking, and he’s been key to bringing the world’s attention to the valley. Decanter writes, “Thanks to Giorgio, Elqui is no longer thought of simply as a top region for Pisco [brandy], it’s a most-talked-about valley for fine, well-defined varietal wine.”

So what did Aldo and Giorgio see in this spot? It had the perfect combination of long sunshine hours, pure air quality, cooling ocean breezes, foggy mornings and fresh Andean snowmelt—the ultimate recipe for growing grapes that are complex and aromatic.

For this elegant Viognier, grapes are hand harvested and transported to the winery (two miles away) in small bins to avoid bruising. Then came a cold fermentation to preserve those vibrant, mountain-fresh flavors and aging on its lees for a few months to enrich texture.