Suertes del Marqués Cool 1 Liter 2022

Suertes del Marques Cool comes from the Nat'Cool collection, an initiative the winemaker Dirk Niepoort launched to champion honest natural wines made from local grapes: low in alcohol, easy to drink and bottled in one-litre formats. This one is a collaboration with Suertes del Marques in the D.O. Valle de la Orotava on Tenerife, made from the native Listan Negro. The Orotava sits on the volcanic slopes above the Atlantic, where free-draining basalt soils, sea breezes and cool nights keep grapes fresh and hold alcohol down to 11.5 percent. Many of the region's vines grow in the braided cordon trenzado system unique to the valley. The wine is aged eleven months in concrete vats, an inert material that shapes the wine through slow, steady oxygen exchange and preserves bright fruit without adding any oak flavour. It pours a light, translucent red, with a nose of red cherry, raspberry and pomegranate over dried herbs and a faint smoky, volcanic edge. The palate is light and juicy, low in tannin and lifted by fresh acidity. Serve at 14 to 15 degrees, lightly chilled. It suits roast chicken, pork and grilled fish.