2020 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....
I was blown away by a magnum of the white 2020 Palo Blanco I drank a few days before I tasted it again with its creators. Palo Blanco is the name of a zone in the village of Los Realejos in Tenerife, one of the finest locations for Listán Blanco (Palomino). In 2020 they used the grapes from five plots (they started with only one and 6,600 bottles in 2016), which means they have been able to increase volumes and, thankfully, also quality! The new plot is at 850 meters, so the grapes bring more freshness. These are always the last grapes they pick in Tenerife, even in an early harvest like 2020. The destemmed grapes were pressed and the juice let to settle for 12 to 24 hours and then fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete without temperature control. Sixty-five percent of the wine matured in 2,500-liter oak foudres and the rest in neutral 350-liter barrels with lees. There is a smoky and spicy, flinty touch and a vibrant palate with a spark of acidity that makes the wine very long and tasty. This now plays in the major league. 2020 saw the earliest harvest ever for this wine. 11,000 bottles and 200 magnums were filled in December 2021. Drink 2022 - 2030.
98 points
Luis Gutiérrez - Wine Advocate (Feb 2022)