What are the signatures of a volcanic wine? Is it an aromatic tell like smoke, sulfur or petrichor? Or something else, like a sensation of saltiness or the nature of the acidity? One thing is for certain: get familiar with wines from predominantly volcanic terroir, and you begin to know it when you taste it — as I did two weeks ago with Envinate’s “Benje” Bianco, a brilliant white wine from Spain’s Canary Islands.
What I felt immediately was a vivacity that punctuates all wines hailing from predominantly volcanic terroir.
But let’s back up. The reason I was drinking this wine was a mix of heightened Spanish curiosity — after some time away from this wine nation — and the particular Washington DC restaurant we were dining at, José Andres’ Jaleo. With a wide swing of tapas-style dishes coming, I asked sommelier Jordi Paronella to recommend a wine that was versatile, distinctive and not easy to obtain elsewhere. (Oh and Spanish, obviously).
What Paronella steered me towards is a wine that he has reliably purchased on allocation for his wine list every year for the past several years. To say I was pleased with his pick is an understatement.
Ambassadors of the “New Spain?”
I’ve seen Envinate come up many times in the newsletters of New York City and California’s top bottle shops, as well as on the pages of NYTimes, Punch and elsewhere. Despite the hype, this was my first encounter with one of their wines.
What winemakers Laura Ramos, José Martínez, Roberto Santana and Alfonso Torrente have done since they started the brand in 2005 is represent a style of Spanish wine that is stripped back, lean and transparent of terroir. In a country blessed by a lot of sun and warm climates, this is a proverbially zig to Spain’s zag. But in so doing, Envinate has put the Canary Islands and Extremadura back on people’s map, and helped to elevate Ribeira Sacra as well. Spain will never be known as a cool-climate or maritime wine nation, but there are pockets, and they are now being reconsidered on a higher plane of esteem, and rightly so.
Because of heroic viticulture and extremely old vines, these are not easy wines to make, especially the ones from Tenerife in the Canary Islands. “Benje” relies on 100% Listán Bianco from vines ranging in age from 70 to 110 years old, all sourced from local families and tended by hand. What I felt immediately was a vivacity that punctuates all wines hailing from predominantly volcanic terroir. It’s the electricity of Etna Bianco, the slicing movement of Rangen de Thann, and here, the quick-footed acidity that must come from Montanas Negras, an adjacent volcano that last erupted in 1706.
Only a Volcano Could Give Us This
So what is happening with the roots, shoots, leaves and — ultimately — berries of grapevines growing in volcanic deposits? It’s a complicated interaction, but researchers are zeroing in on it. The salty sensation is likely from higher sodium, potassium and even magnesium concentrations, according to writer and sommelier John Szabo, whose book Volcanic Wines is a photo-rich ode to such terroir. There also appears to be higher concentrations of succinic acid, all of which ladders up to zippiness and fleet-footed momentum on the palate.
Four of us at the table enjoyed this wine, and while it was on the mark for me from the start, it took some getting used to for my non-obsessed companions, who favor more international white wines. The wine had many echelons of flavor, and fruit was on the lower rung for sure. But once the food arrived, it really began to dazzle everyone, so keep that in mind for serving context.
And if you find yourself in Washington DC, stop by Jaleo. The food is superb, but the menu that Jordi Paronella has compiled is as compelling as any Spanish-oriented wine list I’ve seen.
2021 Envinate “Benje” Tenerife Bianco
Tenerife (Canary Islands )
Grapes: Listán Bianco (100%)
Alcohol: 12%
Opinion: ★★★★★
Food friendliness: Versatile
Value: Exceptional
A beginner might like … exploring volcanic terroir in a crisp, savory, momentous white wine. Just do yourself a favor and check all varietal comparisons — and even the tendency to triangulate to other places — at the door.
A wine obsessive might like … a taste of Spain’s preserved viticultural heritage. When we think of old vines in Spain, we almost always go to Garnacha, but these Listán Bianco vines have not only held on for dear life on a volcanic, Atlantic island 28 degrees north of the Equator, they’ve adapted and given us something very specific. It’s an honor to drink wines like this. Don’t loose sight of it.
