Saturday 10 August 2013

Suertes del Marqués – 7 Fuentes – 2011



Spanish red wine from the Valle de la Orotava DO in the north of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands. The bodega is Suertes del Marqués, the wine is 7 Fuentes.

The wine is made mainly from Listán Negro, with a small proportion of either Tempranillo or Tintilla (Grenache) depending on which source you believe (tastes more Grenache to me). Listán Negro is the red-skinned counterpart of the sherry grape Palomino (locally called Listán Blanco), both quite suited to the sandy and volcanic soils typical on Tenerife.

Quite peppery; it smells exactly like the balsamic vinegar and black pepper I pour onto strawberries. Rather thinner on the palate than I expected, weak and weedy. Inasmuch as there is a fruit character, it is black fruit rather than red. An interesting, if simple, bouquet, but otherwise no structure to speak of; a light, Beaujolais-styled wine (I suspect carbonic maceration) that certainly will not improve with age.

One of those wines I am glad to have come across, although a tasting pour would have been plenty.

70/100

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