2018 Envinate Parcela Palo Blanco

Envínate, which literally translates as “Wine Yourself,” is the project of four young passionate winemakers: Roberto Santana (based in the Canaries), Jose Martinez (Almansa), Laura Ramos (Murcia) and Alfonso Torrente (Ribeira Sacra). The four met while studying oenology in Alicante in 2005 and formed a collective based on a shared philosophy of wine and a desire to explore the ancient, Atlantic influenced terroirs of western Spain.

In 2008, the group bought their first vineyard in Ribeira Sacra, then took control of vineyards on the north side of Tenerife, and followed with a single patch of Tinta Amarela in Extremadura. Finally, in 2012, the group began working with a site in Almansa, where Jose lives and works, planted to Garnacha Tintorera. In each region, they work old, previously abandoned vineyards, but importantly for a project with such spread, one of the team lives full time in each location, working the vineyards year round.

Migan and Palo Blanco are both very old vine wines from the Valle de la Orotava zone, although they don’t bear the D.O. stamp. The old vines are trained in the Trezendo fashion: braiding new shoots over older ones until the vines begin to resemble old dreadlocks weaving over the landscape. The terrain is flatter than Táganan, more conducive to farming. Migan is two parcels of Listan Negro, both over 100 years old, while Palo Blanco is a single vineyard from the town of Los Realejos planted on black volcanic soils.

Other Reviews....
An outstanding white from the Valle de la Orotava, the 2018 Palo Blanco is named after a zone or "paraje" from the village of Los Realejos that produced Listán Blanco of a strong and different personality. In 2018, they used a further two plots, one at 500 and the other one at 850 meters in altitude, all three planted with centenary "cordón trenzado" braided vines. This is only 11.5% alcohol and has great acidity, a pH of three and seven grams of acidity after full malolactic. Sixty-five percent of the volume matured in 2,500-liter oval oak vats and the rest in 228-liter barriques. This is sharp, vertical, mineral and austere, a white made with rocks—it's pure rock juice (think Vatan or Bageiras), the most mineral of the whites they make. It has some notes of chamomile and combines power and elegance. This is a groundbreaking, world-class white, way better than previous vintages. And it's made from a variety that people say is second class... second class to none! 9,700 bottles produced. It's the largest production to date, and it was bottled in January 2020.
97 points
Luis Gutiérrez - Wine Advocate (Sept 2020)