Old-vine Listán Blanco from high, volcanic slopes in Santiago del Teide. Organically farmed and minimally handled, it’s a salty, smoky Tenerife white with racy freshness and orchard-fruit depth.
I love the wines of Envinate and their parcels on Tenerife give a real insight into volcanic wine making. These are wines with a real sense of place and they are simply marvellous. They do have a wild side and won't be for everyone but in my opinion they can do nothing wrong. The fruit for the Benje wines comes from vineyards in Santiago del Teide, high on the northwestern volcanic slopes of Tenerife. Altitude is around 1,000 metres. Viticulture is organic. The soil is worked by hand without using any kind of chemicals. The vines are free-standing, completely untrained and harvesting is done by hand. Each parcel is vinified separately, in a mix of concrete tanks and open tubs. 75% of the fruit is pressed directly off the skins, the other 25% undergoes skin contact for between 14-40 days. The wine is aged for 8 months in 60% concrete and 40% old French barriques, on the fine lees. No battonage or sulphur is used.
