Envinate
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2 products
Tasting Envinate for the first time interested me in the islands, one of the most unique viticultural sites in Spain and possibly the world (unless you consider Bolivian vines climbing up trees...look it up!). Four vignerons and friends from winemaking school took on a multi-regional mission to elevate and express the terroir of Tenerife (Canary Islands), Galicia, and Almansa. Each expression is pure and nuanced and represents one of the ideal examples of the region.
Also be sure to check out the Chingao bottlings which are bottled without any added sulfur whatsoever!
The story of Envínate starts at the University of Miguel Hernández in Alicante, where four friends met while studying enology, eventually leading to the production of wine from a swath of unique vineyards in the Canary Islands, Ribeira Sacra, and Almansa. Roberto Santana, Alfonso Torrente, Laura Ramos, and José Martínez make up the team behind some of the most compelling wines in all of Spain. After forming a consultancy focused on finding abandoned, old vineyards planted to indigenous varieties, the group began vinifying them and bottling under the label Envínate.
Terruño is the name of the game, along with a focus on local varieties—especially in the wines hailing from the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa. Oftentimes, the wines from the Canaries are from ancient, ungrafted parcels co-planted to several native varieties, including some unidentified ones. The wines from Ribeira Sacra are often Mencía-dominated, while the Almansa wines are Garnacha-based.
Fermentation and aging take place in a mix of neutral barrels and concrete tanks. No chemicals are used in the vineyards, and SO2 is kept to an absolute minimum. Each region has a unique identity with savory qualities and haunting aromatics. These are highly individualistic wines from distinct places with complex identities. The Benje line and Albahra are perfect entry points for the style, while the single-vineyard bottlings are as complex and interesting as anything coming out of Spain today.
