A lively, terroir driven red from Envínate, the innovative Spanish project founded by four friends with a passion for expressive, low intervention wines. It is made predominantly from Listán Prieto (about 90 %) with small complements of Listán Blanco and Tintilla, sourced from ancient, ungrafted vines at 900 to 1 200 metres above sea level on volcanic slopes near Santiago del Teide, Tenerife. Fermented parcel by parcel with native yeasts in concrete and neutral vessels, it sees around eight months of ageing in neutral French oak and concrete before bottling without fining or filtration. The 2023 vintage, shaped by a warm, dry season, is floral and aromatic with red currant, wild strawberry, crushed herbs and smoky notes, leading to a fresh, balanced palate with fine tannins, lively acidity and a savoury, mineral finish that captures the volcanic energy and distinctive character of the Canary Islands.

The bottled 2023 Benje, which has 9% Listán Blanco and 1% Tintilla grapes to complement the Listán Prieto, comes from a very warm and dry year in Santiago del Teide when the vines got blocked and suffered a lot, as they also did in 2019. With the experience from that year, they did a softer vinification, with shorter macerations and extraction. Here, it was an even warmer and earlier year than 2022, with more immediate wines, approachable and open from the very beginning. It's floral, aromatic and expressive, fine-boned and harmonious, with good freshness. 18,000 bottles and 250 magnums produced. It was bottled in May 2024. 94 Pts, Drink 2024-2029 - Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate