Located in Tenerife, this new, small family project shows the kind of painstaking work required to make artisan wines in the Canary Islands. Behind it are husband and wife Loreto Pancorbo and Gabriel Morales, both winemakers. Loreto, who was born in Rioja and has harvesting experience in Napa Valley and New Zealand, moved to Tenerife in 2009 to work for a cooperative in San Miguel de Abona. There she discovered an uncharted world. “The diversity here is amazing. There is a true universe of climates, exposures, soils and grape varieties. You never stop learning,” she points out. Tenerife-born Gabriel owns a business offering wine production services, consults for a couple of wine producers and manages a considerable number of hectares under vine.
As the family grew quickly (three children were born in three years) and Gabriel had the chance to rent more vineyards (many plots were neglected in the wake of the 2008 crisis), the couple considered producing their own wines.
They live close to San Cristóbal de La Laguna deep in the countryside in a spacious winery-cum-house with its own vegetable garden and some animals. “We try to live sustainably,” says Loreto.
They decided to do without machinery to save costs and because they felt it was safer given the young age of their children and the fact that the cellar was just another room in the house. Racking is done by gravity. There is no destemmer, so reds are fermented with stems. Their total production capacity is 30,000 bottles from their own and rented vineyards, but they have started with around 5,000. Tasks are well distributed: Gabriel is in charge of the vineyards and Loreto handles the winery.
Vineyards are found between Tacoronte and Los Realejos in the Orotava Valley further west, where they grow just under two hectares with 95% of white varieties. This comprises Cercado del Pino, a vineyard owned by Gabriel's family which is dominated by Listán Blanco with some Albillo Criollo and Verdello; and rented plots in Los Topes planted to Albillo Criollo with some Gual and Vijariego Negro. In Tacoronte they tend a small plot of Negramoll grapes called Fray Diego together with Los Marqueses, planted with Listán Negro, Baboso and Castellana Negra, and El Adelantado, also with those varieties plus some Negramoll. Baboso Negro is barely present so they sell the grapes to another producer.
2018 was their first official vintage and the couple’s first wines were released in October 2019. Fermentation and aging take place in concrete tanks and seasoned barrels, but they have also started using amphorae made by Catalan artisan Carles Llarch. Loreto believes that uncoated clay vessels are suitable for Canary Islands wines because they offset their reductive nature. In the case of whites, she finds that the combination works even better with skin-contact fermentations.
The range starts with two wines -a red and a white- called Tierra Fundida (cast earth) retailing at around €23 in Spain, and is completed with limited editions (around €35) that are set to change on every new vintage; so far a Verdello and two red wines have been produced.
The entry-level red cuvée is made under the seal of DO Tacoronte-Acentejo. A blend of Listán Negro, Negramoll and Castellana, it is aged for five months in seasoned French barrels, a couple of months in concrete tanks plus some time in amphorae. Loreto says that Listán Negro is responsible for its wild side (struck match, spices) while Negramoll adds acidity and Castellana brings the tannins that Listán Negro lacks.
The white cuvée blends Listán Blanco and Albillo Criollo but while Listán is pressed whole and fermented in concrete tanks, the grapes of Albillo Criollo are destemmed, foot-trodden and fermented and aged with their skins for 40 days in amphorae. After the pressing, the final blend rests in concrete tanks until the wine is bottled in July.