Suertes del Marques 7 Fuentes, 2018, 750ML

Feature

Tasting Note

Wine Advocate 93 Points, Luis Gutiérrez, 31 August 2020

The spectacular and super-affordable 2018 7 Fuentes would be the wine I recommend as an introduction to the zone, the variety and the style of the wines. It's mostly Listán Negro with some 10% Castellana Negra (Tinta Cao) from a variety of vineyards ranging between 10 and 200 years of age and at altitudes ranging between 300 to 700 meters above sea level. It fermented in concrete tanks with around 10% full clusters and indigenous yeasts. Seventy percent of the volume was kept in concrete, and the remaining 30% matured in used 500-liter oak barrels for nine months. It's open and expressive, without any reduction, and it has bright red fruit, with freshness, watermelon and redcurrants. It's juicy and approachable but with complexity and freshness on the palate, harmonious and elegant and very tasty. It is an updated version of the 2016. This is a bargain. 50,000 bottles produced. There are six lots from one single master blend. It was bottled in December 2019.

Winemaking 

7 Fuentes is made a blend of 90% Listan Negro and 10% Tintilla made from 35 vineyard plots with vines ranging from 10 to 180 years old approximately. The altitude of the vineyards vary from 250 to 800m above sea level. Each of the parcels is vinified separately and is assembled only before bottling.

The wine is fermented with indigenous yeast in concrete tanks, and aged for 9 months in 70% concrete tanks and 30% oak foudres of 500L. Bottled with low levels of sulfites

Winery

The winery and independent wine production started only in 2006, but the family has been growing grapes for over 30 years in the Valle de La Orotava (Tenerife).

The family opted for the use of native varieties and traditional vine training methods. In order to preserve a viticulture and wine-making heritage that dates back five centuries old.

The vineyards are treated using only natural products when vine diseases eventually arise, and any systemic treatments in the vineyards are avoided.