Terroir Jable de Tao
Lanzarote is the second oldest island in the Canary archipelago. Originally, the island consisted of two separate parts, with an inlet of the sea between them. In the central area, this left behind deposits rich in sand and limestone. This is what the name jable refers to: light-coloured sandy soils of marine origin, showing a different side of Lanzarote from its well-known black volcanic sand.
Tao lies within this zone. The soils contain high levels of limestone and fossilised shell remains, formed by deposits accumulated over the years. These soils give the wines their own profile within the island, with freshness and depth.
Viticulture on Lanzarote is particularly labour-intensive. The traditional hoyos, pits dug by hand around 200 years ago, form part of the island’s heritage. Each vine is planted in one of these pits and protected by small walls from the predominantly north-eastern winds. Yields are exceptionally low: in traditional hoyos, often only around 600 kilograms of grapes per hectare, and in some plots no more than 300 kilograms per hectare.
More recent plantings are often established alongside walls or behind rounded windbreaks, with a higher planting density and greater yields per hectare. The differences across the island are significant: higher-lying plots are often wilder and more difficult to cultivate due to the lack of water, while the lower-lying areas have richer soils and more extensive plantings.
Masdache is known for its poorer soils and old field blends. Chupadero, on the other hand, is one of the most volcanic zones on the island, with vines cultivated within a crater.