TN: A delicious wine from the Canary Islands

When I lived in the UK it seemed that everyone holidayed in Tenerife, attracted by the ocean and abundant sunshine. It is a Spanish settlement some 100kms off the coast of Morocco. Now I find a second reason to visit Tenerife.

2013 Suertes de Marques ‘7 Fuentes’ (Listan Negro 90%, Tintilla 10%)
This is pretty and medium bodied from a high altitude site. It has a distinctly smokey, graphite edge to the aroma. The palate is seamless and laced with a wild smokiness and crunchy black cherry and herb laced fruit. It is moreish and distinctive and you could swear you can smell the volcano. It is unadorned and quite unique. Great wine for an options game.

I’ve had a few Listan Negros from there and it’s definitely distinctive. Sometimes they have that Etna like volcanic vibe w nice cherry, but sometimes it’s a bit too sulphurous/ashphalty for me.

Sounds like you had better luck with your bottle of the “7 Fuentes” than I did when I opened one early last year (not sure whether mine was a 2013 though). It had a major brett issue and was not very pleasant. Opened another Canary Island wine at the same time that was quite nice though - 2013 Matias i Torres Negramoll.

[resizeableimage=590,386]https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/12628453_10204892661590925_6448839530817791113_o.jpg?oh=bb218177ceae1abb9adcb73f6b133c78&oe=5A204FD3[/resizeableimage]

I love this Listan Negro, simply delicious, the smokiness perhaps comes from the volanic soil, just like Etna Rossos.

From what I gather is a Roberto Santana wine, of the Envinate fame. Just elegance, a purity of fruit and typicity, not in over extracted-over oaked style. Their single parcel wines are just incredible.

I would expect bottle variations as they don’t use much, if any, sulphur…Opened up their Benje (Mission grape) wine this weekend…such a crowd-pleaser!

We have enjoyed this rose:

Bodegas Los Bermejos Lanzarote Listan Rosado

many times, savory and reddish flavors with a ripe white-wine texture, delicious and versatile.

Thanks for your note - the low sulphur would help explain the bottle variation. I’d love to find some of that Benje wine - I’ll have to see if anyone in the SF Bay Area carries it. It’s of particular interest as Harrington Wines, where I work part-time, has been making an old-vine Mission wine the past couple of years so I like to check out other producers who make wine from this variety. I’ve tried a number of Pais wines from Chile, some of them very good.

Interesting comments guys.

Ken, I am quite bret sensitive, but di not perceive any in this bottle, or two prior.

I am left wondering though whether the smokey character is attributable to the variety Listan Negro or is more site reliant?

Kent,

In my observation, the slight smokiness on the palate is a common thread in many wines from volcanic soils. Be it Listan Negro (or the mission grape) from Tenerife, Etna wines, I certainly find it in assyrtiko from Santorini; also in Riesling from Rangen vineyards from Alsace and even in some Pinots from willamette (Dundee hills).

The soils do leave a footprint in the wine, if allowed to. Certainly makes them very interesting!