Spain — wine

Canary Islands

Spain's volcanic Atlantic archipelago off the Moroccan coast, producing wines of extraordinary uniqueness from pre-Phylloxera vines on volcanic basalt and pumice at altitudes from sea level to 1,700m. The indigenous Listán Negro (red) and Listán Blanco (white) — both pre-Phylloxera survivors — produce wines of haunting transparency and mineral character. Tenerife's Etna-like conditions (Teide volcano, altitude, Atlantic winds) and Lanzarote's surreal vine-in-hollow basalt landscape make these among the world's most distinctive wine environments.

Year Rating Notes
2022 Outstanding Canary Islands vintage; Listán Negro from Tenerife volcanic soils showed extraordinary translucency and mineral depth.
2021 Elegant Atlantic vintage; the altitude sites on Tenerife produced wines of exceptional freshness despite the latitude.
2020 Benchmark year; Envínate and Suertes del Marqués produced internationally acclaimed volcanic wines of global recognition.
2019 Outstanding vintage; Listán Negro's delicate, transparent character gained major international natural wine press attention.
2018 Solid vintage; ungrafted ancient vine Listán Negro showed extraordinary mineral purity from the volcanic basalt soils.