Suertes del Marqués '7 Fuentes' Valle de la Orotava 2018

Description

Tenerife has a long and fascinating winemaking history, indigenous varieties such as Listan Tinto, Tintilla and Baboso Negro, can be found growing on 100 year-old pie franco vines. Winemaker Luis Seabra and owner Jonatan Garcia Lima are part of a growing breed of passionate young producers working on the island dedicated to allowing the potential of these soils speak through their brilliantly transparent wines. Their vineyards are in the Orotava valley, on the cooler, drier north side of the island. They rise up the slopes of the Pico del Teide volcano, ranging from 250 to 700 meters, with a variety of exposures. Most of the work in these steep vineyards is manual. Due to its isolation from continental Europe and the sandiness of the soils, many of the vines are ungrafted. Another unique feature of the zone is the training of the vines into braided cordons known as cordon trenzado, which enabled farmers to harvest grapes and vegetables from the same plot. The estate has some incredibly old, low yielding vines. The oldest blocks, La Solana and Los Pasitos, are planted with 100 year-old Listan Negro, Listan Blanco and Pedro Ximénez. El Esquilón, is planted with 80 year old Listán Negro and El Ciruelo with similar aged Listán Negro and Blanco. The remaining blocks were planted from 2000 to 2007 with Tintilla, Listán Negro, Baboso, Vijariego, Listán Blanco and Albillo. These newer vines are mainly planted in double cordon.

The wines are made 70% in concrete and 30% in French oaks barrels for 8 months. They have everything we look for; freshness, balance, purity of fruit, floral aromas, minerality and an authentic terroir character.

'This has a pale ruby colour with oily tears; There is a slight reduction on the nose to start which turns into smoky, savoury, herbs, dark plums. Medium bodied with medium intense, fine tannins. A very pretty, elegant, yet savoury wine with the smoky volcanic minerality. Decant for an hour and enjoy! This wine definitely takes you to places with every sip.' Anja Breit, Philglas & Swiggot

'The spectacular and super-affordable 2018 7 Fuentes would be the wine I recommend as an introduction to the zone, the variety and the style of the wines. It's mostly Listán Negro with some 10% Castellana Negra (Tinta Cao) from a variety of vineyards ranging between 10 and 200 years of age and at altitudes ranging between 300 to 700 meters above sea level. It fermented in concrete tanks with around 10% full clusters and indigenous yeasts. Seventy percent of the volume was kept in concrete, and the remaining 30% matured in used 500-liter oak barrels for nine months. It's open and expressive, without any reduction, and it has bright red fruit, with freshness, watermelon and redcurrants. It's juicy and approachable but with complexity and freshness on the palate, harmonious and elegant and very tasty. It is an updated version of the 2016. This is a bargain. 50,000 bottles produced. There are six lots from one single master blend. It was bottled in December 2019.' 93 pts,  Luis Gutiérrez, RobertParker.com