Bodegas Viñátigo Ensamblaje Blanco Tenerife 2022
Aromatic and captivating, with notes of tropical fruit, apricot and mint leading to a vibrant palate with layers of fruit underpinned by smoky notes from the Tenerife terroir.
The vineyards are greatly influenced by the Atlantic breezes, locally known as ‘Vientos Alisios’, which affects both low-altitude vineyards, resulting in savoury and saline characters in the wines, and the high-altitude vineyards where the winds generate freshness and natural acidity. The average annual rainfall varies between 200mm in coastal vineyards, to 500mm per year in mid to high-altitude areas. The vineyards are planted with ungrafted vines due to the absence of phylloxera. Sustainable cultivation is employed, synthetic preparations, herbicides and pesticides are not used, instead disease is prevented with natural products. Regenerative viticulture takes place by working the soils, which helps to maintain soil health and biodiversity. The plots comprise different types of volcanic soils: from the young soils where stony components allow the roots to delve deep to find sustenance, to the soils made up of old, colluvial and alluvial deposits derived from the erosion of the massifs that typify the orography of the Northwest of Tenerife. The grapes are hand-harvested into 18-20 kg cases.
The grapes were refrigerated to between -5 and 0°C upon arrival at the winery, to avoid the use of sulphur during vinification until the end of fermentation. Each variety was fermented separately with indigenous yeasts. Some of the varieties were fermented in stainless steel and concrete vats, others uniquely in stainless steel tanks and the remainder in French oak barrels. The final blend seeks to showcase a balance between freshness, tension and fruit, respecting the identity of each variety and their origins from the distinctive volcanic soils.
| RRP | £30.00 |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Alcoholic strength | 13% |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Tenerife |
| Grapes | Malvasia 25%, Marmajuelo 24%, Vijariego Blanco 22%, Gual 20%, Listán Blanco 9% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 2 |
| Dry/Sweet value | 1 |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Milk | No |
| Eggs | No |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Cork |
The philosophy behind Bodegas Viñátigo is to revive and promote the extensive varietal heritage of the Canary Islands. The journey started in the 1990s, at a century-old plot in the village of La Guancha, in the north of Tenerife, where the traditional varieties of Listán Blanco and Listán Negro were vinified in the old family winery. With an uncompromising eye on quality, this dynamic winemaking project has subsequently expanded to produce thrilling, modern wines from varieties such as Gual, Marmajuelo and Vijariego. Bodegas Viñátigo’s ethos is respectful of the environment, both in the vineyard where sustainable winegrowing practices are applied; and in the construction of its state-of-the-art winery which was built in 1997 from local materials and designed to minimise energy consumption.
