Envinate

I simply have to open the blog again with this post….it’s rare that I encounter a wine with such an emotional impact. 

For a long time I’ve wanted to taste the wines from Envinate. No – let me rephrase. For a long time I’ve wanted to learn more about Spanish wine.  

I am a novice when it comes to Spanish wines. Sure I’ve have tasted Vega Sicilia, Pingus etc. – but most of my encounters with Spain makes me feel somewhat embarrassed. They were based on high Parker scores. I explored nothing – I obtained zero information – I simply chased the point. I guess I have to archive it under trial and error and start over again.

For a long time Envitate has popped up on my Instagram feed. Having read about the philosophies of the 4 friends behind the Envinate winery (Roberto Santana, Alfonso Torrente, Laura Ramos, and José Martínez) I imagined a possible match. The quartet sources indigenous grape varietiesfrom Ribeira Sacra in Galicia, Extremadura and the Canary Islands. Pure and authentic seems to be their aim with only picking by hand - feet in - no chemicals and only using wild yeast. Furthermore only used old barrels and small doze of sulphur at bottling. 

3 weeks ago – the Danish importer presented a range of Envinate wines and I think I tasted around 7 or 8 different wines. Many were super interesting– but if to pick one – it was definitely the 2017 “Parcela Margalagua”.

Parcela Margalagua” comes from the northern part of Tenerife. A single organic farmed vineyard with over 100 years old ungrafted vines (the Canary Islalands were never infected by phylloxera) – roughly 200 meters above sea level, planted with a wide mix of local grapes; Listan Negro, Listan Prieto, Baboso, Negramoll, Malvasia Negra and many many more. 

So last week I tasted it at home on a crisp spring day – judgement day; glass was Zalto Bordeaux.

Bright transparent red – already a good indication on the colour, if you like me prefer a light and fragrant wine. The nose is to die for and where do I start – and how do I explain how phenomenal this wine is. It welcomes you with open arms, free as a bird - bright red fruit; raspberries, cherries with underneath brushings of forest soil - candy like liquorice, currant and verbena. But the best thing is the volcanic baseline, which brings so much life, mineral tallness with notes of iron and iodine. The taste is stunning; silky, energetic, vibrant and utterly pure juice. On the last meters you have that inner soul of volcanic warmth.  Imagine a Chambolle-Musigny had a twin brother called Brunello - they had a cousin called Pfifferling and the lived on Etna…what I am saying…???...I am basically running out of words – MAGIC WINE…WOW!!!