Listán Negro and Tintilla from Valle de la Orotava, Canary Islands, Spain; medium boded and dry, smokey with notes of black plum, smoke, fine ground black pepper, baking spice, and sesame, with balanced acid and dry tannins. Practing Organic

Unfiltered Wine Club February 2024:

"Moving off the mainland, the next wine hails from Valle de la Orotava on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands of Spain. The grapes are Listán Negro and Tintilla, and the soil structure is predominantly volcanic (basalt). This soil type is known for bringing out the smoky qualities of grapes that are prone to it. Listán Negro can be intensely smoky, and this wine is an excellent example of how beautiful that characteristic can be when it is balanced with fruit and spice. I get notes of sesame, black plums, and cloves with lingering fine ground black pepper. This wine is pretty unsuspecting in my opinion, and would pair famously with gamey meats and mushrooms, or heartier things such as pâté and beets. I preferred this with a slight chill!"