Suertes del Marqués Edición 3 Blanco 2024

Suertes del Marqués works the volcanic slopes of the Valle de La Orotava on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, an area of black basaltic soils and steep, high-altitude vineyards. Edición 3 Blanco is made from Listán Blanco, the island's leading white grape, farmed organically. The volcanic soils are free-draining and mineral-rich, and combined with the altitude and the cooling Atlantic trade winds they give the wine its freshness, salinity and characteristic smoky, flinty edge. The wine is aged for twenty-two months on its lees in barrel, an unusually long élevage for a white of this weight. The extended lees contact releases mannoproteins that broaden the mid-palate and add a creamy texture and savoury depth, while the barrel is used for oxygen exchange and texture rather than overt oak flavour. The colour is straw yellow with golden highlights. The nose is fresh and mineral, with green apple, lemon and white peach over a smoky, saline note drawn from the volcanic terroir. The palate is dry and textured, the lees weight balanced by a bright acidity and a long, stony, salty finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees in a white glass.