Dolores Cabrera 'L Araucaria' Valle de la Orotava Tinto, 2021

Dolores worked studied viticulture and worked for 10 years before she decided to branch off and make her own wines in 2014. She named her project “La Araucaria” for a type of evergreen tree found in the Canary Islands, and specifically for the very large tree just outside her cellar that is depicted on her labels. Her organic vineyards and cellar, which was the first to ever be built in what is now the DO Valle de La Orotava, are located in northernTenerife, (the largest of the Canary Islands). A valley shaped by Pico del Teide, the 3rd largest active volcano in the world with its peak at 3715 meters. Most vines are trained in the cordón trenzado (braided cord) method, where vines snake out of the ground and the canes are braided together and supported by posts to facilitate better airflow (mildew is an issue due to the humidity); the braids of the oldest vines can reach between 14 to 22 meters in length. This unusual style is only found here in La Orotava. This Denominación de Origen is important to Spanish history: in the 15th Century it was one of the first areas on the island to be planted with grapes. The Spaniards fought for over 100 years to gain control of the islands, and agriculture quickly became an economic staple. The Canary Islands are renowned for their fertile soil, and wine became a major export (mostly to England), long before their other two major exports, bananas and potatoes, entered the game. The DO Valle de La Orotava was established in 1995 and encompasses vines from sea level to 800m in elevation; it is noted for its volcanic soil intermixed with clay and elevated humidity. This unique terroir gives wines from La Orotava a trademark earthiness and an unusual texture not found in wines elsewhere on the island. There are about 700 hectares planted in the DO, primarily to Listán Negro, the indigenous red varietal that (to our knowledge) has no genetic relation to any other grapes on the planet and what makes up this fresh and lively tinto. The grapes were harvested by hand and deposited in stainless steel tank for 12 days of whole-cluster carbonic maceration without temperature control, then destemmed and further macerated on their skins for 7 days. Finally, the wine was pressed to finish fermentation and rest for 6 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling without fining or filtering and with only a minimal addition of SO2. This perfect summer red has salinity, volcanic richness, juicy deep purple fruits, a lovely mineral finish and damp earth brambly nose. A little bit wild, and even better with a chill.