When I visited Tenerife recently, Roberto Envinate introduced me to two exciting new wines in their portfolio. One was the tiny 3 barrel production Vidueno 2016 red made exclusively for the US and Mexican markets, and which I reviewed here recently…

https://gregsherwoodmw.com/2017/12/07/the-unicorn-slayer-came-to-town-today-the-tenerife-odyssey-resurrected-tasting-vidueno-2016/

The other wine was the maiden release of the Envinate Migan 2016 Tinto. The grapes for this special wine come from two terroirs in La Perdoma (La Orotava) grown on ungrafted vines trained in the cordon trenzado method of between 100 and 120 years old.

The grapes from the two terroirs were fermented separately in concrete tanks. The “La Habanera” site’s grapes were fermented with 100% stems including a long maceration. The second terroir, “San Antonio”, was fermented with 20% stems with a 12 day maceration. The wines were then aged in neutral 600 litre barrels for just over 12 months with bottling due to take place in December 2017.

Envinate Migan Tinto 2016, Vinos Atlanticos, 12.5 Abv. (Barrel Sample)

The final blend for this wine is made up of 60% of the Habanera terroir and 40% of the San Antonio terroir. Such a beautiful bright translucent cherry red colour, the nose is a little darker, deeper and slightly broody. Lovely cherry blossom perfume mixes with volcanic basalt minerality, pithy red cherry, red apple skins and subtle sappy stalky spice. The palate is amazingly intense, as you’d expect from fruit from 100+ year old vines. Such crystalline red berry fruits, cherry sherbet nuances, tart electric acids and salty red liquorice complexity. Also super dense, fabulously concentrated and impressively long, with an elegant texture. Very impressive indeed! Possibly one of the best reds I’ve tried from Tenerife yet. Wow!

(Wine Safari Score: 96-97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)