Envinate, La Santa de Ursula, Tacoronte Acentejo 2021 - 75cl

Tenerife makes wine on the edge of what seems possible — old vines clinging to volcanic slopes above the Atlantic — and Envínate have become the reference point for that wild, saline style. La Santa de Úrsula comes from La Carujera in Tacoronte-Acentejo, on the cooler, humid north-east coast, where century-old vines of Listán Negro and Negramoll grow in sand, clay and black basalt. This is the 75cl bottle, the format for a midweek table where you want something that tastes emphatically of somewhere.

The nose is anything but obvious: white pepper, wild raspberry and pomegranate, then chalk, woodsmoke and a stony, almost tarry note that marks out these Atlantic reds. Whole-cluster fermentation and ageing in neutral oak leave the fruit unadorned. On the palate it is medium-bodied, incisive and taut, with wild red berries, a floral thread and fine, silky tannins carried on bright, salty acidity. The finish is mineral and lingering, more savoury than sweet. Drink it over the next three to four years while its nervy energy is at full stretch.

How to Serve

Serve cool, 14°C, in a Burgundy glass. No decant — a light chill and twenty minutes open is all it asks. A gentle chill lifts the salinity.

Where to Drink It

Planque: a cellar built for characterful, off-piste bottles like this.
Brat: the live-fire cooking and volcanic reds are a natural fit.
Dandy Maltby St: small plates and low-intervention wine.

Food Pairings

Grilled red mullet with romesco — the wine's salinity and smoke meet the char head-on.