Viñátigo Tintilla 2023Viñátigo - 75 cl.

Jesús Méndez wants to give autochthonous Canarian cépages that are almost extinct a face back with his Viñátigo project. All his wines are vinified in very limited volumes. 'Pie franco' on volcanic substrates. Blend of ungrafted native white varieties from the Canary Islands. The selected varieties and proportions vary from year to year depending on the harvest. The Listan Negro grapes come from ungrafted vines more than 100 years old. Grown between 500 and 900 metres above sea level, in north-western Tenerife. Young volcanic soils, with good drainage and very rich in minerals.

Benje is the name of a nearby crater which the Listan Prieto comes from, near Santiago del Teide (Tenerife). The vines are located some 1,000 metres above sea level.

Negramoll is the main grape used in Tenerife to make everyday consumption wine. Yet, if one check its yield and pays attention to the winemaking, this varietal can produce vinous and very interesting wines. The production of this cuvée is only 4,500 bottles.

Puro Rofe Tinto is a blend of different terroirs across Lanzarote. The common thread is the soil, composed of the typical black volcanic sand known as “rofe”. Sourced from very old vines (+100 years) from, among others, La Geria, Masdache and Testeyna.

Bimbache is the name of the first inhabitants of El Hierro. The island mainly produces white wine but this Bimbache Tinto is an exception. It is made with Listan Negro, blended with some Listan Pieto and Verijadiego tinto. Organic and non-interventionist estate. Only a small dose of sulphur is added at bottling.

Ikewen means “origin” in Amazigh. Amazigh is the name most commonly used today for the Indigenous peoples of North Africa, formerly often referred to as Berbers. The first inhabitants of the Canary Islands also had North African roots. With this name, Carmelo Peña pays tribute to his family and to the people who helped him establish Bien de Altura. Ikewen is the village wine of San Mateo, a high-altitude area of Gran Canaria where the Bien de Altura project began. The wine is a blend of several plots in the north-east of the island, located at altitudes ranging from approximately 1,100 to 1,460 metres.

Migan is made from old vines in La Orotava, where the white Palo Blanco is also produced. Here too, we find the classic Cordón Trenzado, or braided vineyards—unique vineyards rich in history, always marked by their typical volcanic characteristics. The best red from this region!

Táganan is a village on the North-Western side of the Teide, on the island of Tenerife. The vines are quite close to the coast. This cuvée blends different terroirs from Tacoronte.

La Santa de Úrsula is the latest red addition from the top winery Envinate. For me personally, also the most beautiful. Sourced from two different plots in the Tacoronte region. A fine blend primarily of Listan with Negramoll. The most Burgundian of the red wines!

Migan is made from old vines in La Orotava, where the white Palo Blanco is also produced. Here too, we find the classic Cordón Trenzado, or braided vineyards—unique vineyards rich in history, always marked by their typical volcanic characteristics. The best red from this region!

Táganan is a village on the North-Western side of the Teide, on the island of Tenerife. The vines are quite close to the coast. This cuvée blends different terroirs from Tacoronte.

La Santa de Úrsula is the latest red addition from the top winery Envinate. For me personally, also the most beautiful. Sourced from two different plots in the Tacoronte region. A fine blend primarily of Listan with Negramoll. The most Burgundian of the red wines!

Jesús Méndez wants to give autochthonous Canarian cépages that are almost extinct a face back with his Viñátigo project. All his wines are vinified in very limited volumes. Assemblage of ungrafted red varieties native to the Canary Islands, the proportions of which vary each year depending on the growing cycle. The varieties used to make this blend are usually Negramoll, Tintilla, Vijariego Negro and Baboso Negro. Young and old volcanic soils, with good drainage and very rich in minerals. Some areas are the result of recent volcanic eruptions and are rather sandy. Other areas, like the plots in the El Palmar valley, are from the Teno massif, one of the oldest parts of the island and with more clay. Vines grow from sea level to 1,000 metres altitude. +-3500 bottles production.

Viñátigo makes mono-varietal wines with local grapes that are almost extinct. This Ancestral Tinto is made with the grapes of un-grafted vines and vivified "the good old way". For the real wine fans.

This is a new wine for the estate, with 2017 being its first vintage. The Laderas de Teno plot is located in the El Palmar valley, in north-western Tenerife. Located at 700 m, with direct exposure to the very cool winds coming from the North Atlantic. The Teno massif is one of the first geological formations from which the island of Tenerife later emerged. The soil of this part of the island has a perfect combination of clay with volcanic rocks that allow perfect drainage. The history of the island along with the most beautiful varieties found here!

Margalagua is a single vineyard located between 100 and 250 metre above sea level and managed by José Angel Alonso. Its old vines are a good illustration of the history of agriculture on Tenerife - notably the complantation of diverse grape varietals on the same plot of land. The ungrafted vines are more than 100 years old (the Canary islands are free of phylloxera) and grow nearly wild. The North coast of Tenerife has a somewhat temperate climate that allows the grapes to reach a good alcool potential and preserve their acidity. The hardest challenges are the winds coming from the Atlantic or Africa, and the great fluctuations of humidity in the air.

Margalagua is a single vineyard located between 100 and 250 metre above sea level and managed by José Angel Alonso. Its old vines are a good illustration of the history of agriculture on Tenerife - notably the complantation of diverse grape varietals on the same plot of land. The ungrafted vines are more than 100 years old (the Canary islands are free of phylloxera) and grow nearly wild. The North coast of Tenerife has a somewhat temperate climate that allows the grapes to reach a good alcool potential and preserve their acidity. The hardest challenges are the winds coming from the Atlantic or Africa, and the great fluctuations of humidity in the air.