Envinate's Taganan wines come from the small village of Taganana on the remote north-eastern corner of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. Vines here are planted on incredibly steep terraces of volcanic rock that rise spectacularly out of the ocean.
As the root-eating insect phylloxera hasn't reached the Canary Islands, the array of varietals found in the old vineyards is mind-boggling. Taganan Tinto, this village wine, is a blend of Listan Negro, Tintilla, Baboso, Listan Gaucho, Malvasia Negra, Sumoll (aka Vijariego) and god knows what else.
The wine itself is surprisingly light and fresh, pitched somewhere between Cabernet Franc and Pinot, but full of notes of red earth, volcanic salt and crushed berry. For cork dorks, it's an absolutely fascinating drink; for everyone else, it's simply delicious.
