Spanish Wines for Spring!
Headed into Spring we’re all about vigorous, fresh wines that deliver liveliness to every social situation and compliment any meal. And luckily for all of us, new, fresh Spanish wines landed at the shop just in time for the warmer weather!
Big and oaky was all the rage in the international Spanish wine market in the 1980s, yet the four owners of Envínate eschew that fad. Envínate, which translates to ‘wine yourself,’ is a progressive, biodynamic winery with plots in eastern Spain, western areas of Ribeira Sacra, and Tenerife in the Canary Islands chain.
Some of the vines that grows on Tenerife are a whopping 300 years old, while 2019 Envínate Benje Tinto is from ‘younger vines’ between 70-100 years old grown atop the northwestern volcanic slopes of this remote island, which is closer to Western Sahara in Africa than it is to Spain. This red blend, of mostly Listán Prieta and a tiny touch of a grape called Tintilla, boasts vibrant notes of violets and fresh blackberries, and has a bright, acidic finish reminiscent of an assertive Cabernet Franc.
Moving to the easternmost island of the Canary Island chain is the island of Lanzarote, only a mere 125km from the African coast. An 18th century volcanic eruption covered the entire island in lava and ash, and today, each vine is planted in a deep hole of volcanic crust and petrified lava. Large rock walls surround each hole for protection from the strong winds from the Atlantic Ocean. Growing vines on Lanzarote is as close to growing grapes on the moon as you can get! This structured, smoky 2018 Los Bermejos Listán Negro is aged for 5 months in French oak, and has notes of black cherry, volcanic rock, and a touch of black pepper. It is deep and complex, but maintains a youthfulness thanks to its juicy acidity and sweet core of dark fruit.
A new-to-us producer, Coto de Gomariz, makes a delicious 100% Treixadura 2019 Coto de Gomariz, La Flor y la Abeja, or the Flower and the Bee. From the far northwestern corner of Spain, this Galician wine exhibits extraordinary freshness with flavors of poached pears and freshly picked dandelions. Owner and winemaker Ricardo Carreiro is at the forefront of progressive viticulture and biodynamic winemaking in Galicia, and pours his passion into making wine from indigenous, Galician grape varieties while employing a non-interventionist winemaking philosophy.
Enjoy these fresh Spanish wines with a slight chill. Welcome Spring!
Vineyards at Los Bermejos on the Canary Island of Lanzarote
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