The Wine Advocate # 242 - 30th Apr 2019 - Luis Gutiérrez - 2017 Suertes del Marqués • Trenzado - 93/100 - $26 - 2019 - 2022
The first of two whites is the 2017 Trenzado, from six very old vineyards in the Valle de la Orotava planted mostly with Listán Blanco and some 2% other varieties (Torrontés, Gual, Marmajuelo, Albillo Criollo, Malvasía, Vijariego Blanco...) on very poor soils. After a soft pressing and settling in stainless steel, the must fermented with indigenous yeasts in a combination of 500-liter barrels and 2,500- and 4,500-liter oak foudres, where the wire matured for nine months. It has a leesy nose (sesame seeds?) with a faintly reductive character, quite Burgundian if you ask me, with a touch of oak (the foudres were new). It's pungent and persistent, with very focused flavors and a clean, tasty finish. 17,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2018.<