Suertes del Marques 7 Fuentes Valle de la Orotava DO

Suertes del Marques, "7 Fuentes", Valle de la Orotava DO is the soul of Orotava. The 2020 vintage is a blend of Listán Negro and Tinta Cao (Castellana Negra) grapes from 35 different vineyards located at altitudes ranging from 350 to 700 meters above sea level, with varying exposures and predominantly volcanic soils. The age of the vines ranges from 10 to 180 years. The harvest is done manually from early August to late September. The vinification of grapes from each plot is carried out separately. Fermentation at a controlled temperature of 22-25 °C occurs with native yeasts in concrete containers. Malolactic fermentation and further aging of the wine take place in concrete containers of various sizes (70%) and 500-liter French oak barrels from Allier (30%) for 10 months. Just before bottling, the wines are blended. Like much of Europe and the rest of the world, Spain suffered greatly from the effects of Covid in 2020, and the challenging growing season only exacerbated the problems. The growing season began with an unusually wet but warm spring, which brought humidity-related diseases, leading to reduced yields. Fortunately, the quality of the fruit was almost unaffected. Eventually, hot weather helped dry the grapes, freeing them from diseases. High temperatures not only helped eliminate mold but also led to the grapes reaching phenolic ripeness earlier. The resulting wines, however, were generally very good, both red and white. The reds tended to be slightly more restrained in style, with an emphasis on elegance.