SuertesdelMarquésValledelaOrotava‘Edición1’Tinto2022

<p>Suertes del Marqués has been leading Tenerife’s vinous renaissance for the past two decades.</p><p>Buying up vineyards and selling most of his crop to local domaines in 1986, Francisco García Lima only started producing wine commercially from 2006. As Francisco introduced organic, low-interventionist philosophies and his son Jonatan took over the 9ha estate in 2016, Suertes del Marqués is now at the epicentre of Tenerife fine wine.</p><p>Jonatan farms 9ha of indigenous old-vine varieties – some more than 200 years old – on volcanic clay and sand soils in the steep Orotova Valley, an appellation where cloud cover moderates temperatures by some 10°C compared to the rest of the island. Trained with a rare technique called cordón trenzado, the long vine canes are painstakingly tied back to their sinewy roots after pruning, then propped off the floor with poles.</p><p>While Jonatan’s Listán Blancos have captured the attention of drinkers with their mouth-watering acidity and signature smokiness, his brilliant-value reds made largely from Listán Negro and Tintilla (Garnacha) continue to fly under the radar. Fresh and peppery with round, supple tannins, they resonate with volcanic minerality.</p><p>The red wine jewel in the crown – ‘Edición 1’ – comprises the very best barrel of Listán Negro from ‘El Ciruelo,’ a vineyard at 500m elevation with a northern exposure. Fermented with 50% whole clusters using native yeasts and aged in old oak for 11 months, it marries pure red fruit and delicate floral aromatics with smoky minerality. Just 630 bottles were produced.</p><p>95+ Points, Wine Advocate</p>