The 'new wave' of exciting, young producers coming out of Spain rolls on. Today (late March) we tasted through a range of wines from Puro Rofe - a producer based on the island of Lanzarote in the Canaries. Already big fans of Envinate (Tenerife, Canary Islands), we were intrigued by what this producer was doing only a few islands over.
Stylistically, what is immediately apparent is a more textural, mouth-coating feel to the wines, particularly the whites. Whilst still being very dry, they have more volume than those of Envinate. Still, there is a real sense of freshness to them all, starting with the entry level 'Blanco' before moving into the more saline and mineral 'Tilama' which really stood out in today's tasting.
The reds, like those of Envinate's, or Comando G's on the Spanish mainland, are pure, cool and built to be drunk. No need for time in the cellar here: open these, decant them, chill them to 16-18 degrees and enjoy what they have to offer. 'Tinto' is a great expression of modern Spanish red, and considering the similarities in climate's between Australia and much of Spain, these wines are very well suited to our palates here in Sydney. Through these wines, we hope you enjoy continuing the exploration of the world of wine, like we do. Ches Cook, FWC.
Background Information on the Producer:
“Puro Rofe, the Lanzarote project led by Rayco Fernández and whose wines are under the charge of young winemaker Carmelo Peña (Bien de Altura), have done their fourth harvest, their earliest ever in 2020. And in the middle of the harvest they have moved wineries, to a larger space in the village of Fermés. They keep purchasing vineyards in La Geria in Lanzarote, where they now own three hectares of centenary vines buried in a hole in the volcanic ash soils, which created one of the most amazing vineyard landscapes of the world! They have grown, and in 2019, they have produced 10,775 bottles in total.
“… in 2019, they had more experience and control over their vineyards and a better understanding of the style of the wines, which in 2017 was almost a mystery to them. 2019 is a much better vintage in Lanzarote than in Tenerife; they had more vineyards and they have a new wine, a clarete (mix of red and white grapes). The style of the 2019s, a warmer year, is still fresh and soil driven. This is a winery on the way up, and they believe 2020 is their finest vintage to date... They also got more vineyards and got 47,000 kilos of grapes, perhaps 30,000 bottles! Stay tuned.” Luis Guttierez, The Wine Advocate, August 2020.