Suertes del Marques 'El Esquilón' 2016

El Esquilón is Suertes del Marqués' expression of 100% Listán Negro from a single vineyard (1.2 hectares in size) with an average age of 80 years from Tenerife, Canary Islands. The soils are mostly volcanic with some clay and sandy loam. The wine is fermented in open concrete tanks with temperature control and manual pigeage before it is aged in 500 litre French oak barrels for 14 months.

The result is a wine that is at a very nice maturity to drink – savoury with notes of red fruit, tomato stem, and spice, fine but dense tannin for Listán. We recommend this gem to those who enjoy Nebbiolo or Sangiovese.

Tenerife has a long and fascinating winemaking history, indigenous varieties such as Listán Negro and Blanco, Tintilla, and Baboso Negro. Many vineyards are made up of 100-year-old+ ungrafted vines. Jonatan Garcia runs the family winery that is located in the Orotava Valley on the north side of the island. Many are grown in a traditional trellising system called Cordon Trenzado – vine branches are braided together and supported on stakes, and eventually grow into gnarly arms sometimes several metres in length. The estate has some incredibly old, low-yielding vines and produces wines that have freshness, balance, purity of fruit, minerality, and an authentic terroir character.

Suertes del Marqués is a family winery that has been producing wines since 2006. However, their tradition as winegrowers dates back to twenty years before that date, growing and selling their grapes to other wineries in the Appellation Valle de La Orotava. Geographically they are in the north of the island of Tenerife, in Valle de La Orotava, a valley within the town of the same name.

Without losing sight of the respect for tradition, cornerstone of their winery philosophy, in Suertes del Marqués they artificially interfere as little as possible in the production of their wines, so they work with indigenous yeasts, avoid racking, and use only minimal amounts of sulfur in their wines. All processes in the cellar are carried out by hand, from works in the vineyard to harvest. They avoid any systemic treatments in the vineyard, using only natural products when vine diseases eventually arise.

What you get is savoury Listán Negro at a very nice maturity to drink – red fruit, tomato stem, spice, and fine but dense tannin. The single vineyard, 80-year-old ungrafted vines, volcanic soils, and careful winemaking create a wine with real complexity and character. We recommend this gem to those who enjoy Nebbiolo or Sangiovese – it shares that same savoury quality, fine tannin structure, and ability to age gracefully.

Serve it at room temperature with grilled meats, roasted vegetables, game, tomato-based dishes, or aged cheeses. This is honest, savoury Canary Islands wine from a family winery committed to minimal intervention and respecting tradition, perfect for Nebbiolo and Sangiovese lovers looking for something with real maturity, complexity, and character from a single vineyard of 80-year-old ungrafted vines.