The red wine with the best value for money in all of Spain.
And, on top of that, in its finest vintage ever!
When I read that, my ears immediately started to tingle…
WTF!!
This is literally what Luis Gutiérrez says about Envínate’s Benje Tinto 2024:
“This has to be one of the best values from the whole of Spain, and this is one of the finest vintages.”
And I can only fully agree with him.
Envínate is without any doubt one of our highest-scoring wine estates. Both their white and red wines, whether from Ribeira Sacra in Galicia or from Tenerife, consistently receive remarkably high scores.
I have already written many mailings about their top wines, but never before about their entry-level wine. And look at this!
But take note: this is not a crowd-pleaser. Do not expect a full-bodied red wine here; this is all about finesse, delicacy and volcanic character. Mineral-driven to the extreme! For those who appreciate absolute finesse. It is already very enjoyable today (when properly decanted), yet it can easily age for another ten years. So delicious, so drinkable.
How is this possible?
Just look at the blend, which is rather unique: 90% Listán Prieto, a grape that differs from the classic Listán Negro typically found on Tenerife. Moreover, it comes from the area around Santiago de Teide, one of the island’s higher-altitude wine regions.
Listán Prieto is the Canary Islands’ name for País or Mission, a grape variety historically associated with table wines in South America. There, it is often linked to large-volume wines, with little focus on finesse. The so-called “vinos finos” are generally made from “noble varieties” such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec.
But this is exactly what defines the Envínate team: deliberately choosing this underdog and showing that it can produce a wine of great finesse and striking minerality.
And I can only share their enthusiasm for Listán Prieto!
This is outstanding!