We've been enchanted by plenty of wines coming from all across the great country of Spain over the past few years, but it's probably safe to say that no producer has grabbed our attention with the kind of force of Envinate. The wines themselves are hardly forceful, and show a brightness, elegance and above all a clarity of place has not always been the norm in the country over the past few decades.

The Envinate (roughly translated as 'wine yourself') project was conceived by Roberto Santana, Laura Ramos, Alfonso Torrente and José Martínez just after they graduated from enology school. The four friends, who hail from different parts of the country, wanted to highlight the great potential of the terroirs in Spain that show the influence of the ocean. They are focused mainly on Ribeira Sacra and the Canary Islands, with a newer project underway in Almansa, which is about an hour southwest of Valencia. 

While the project may have the feel of a 'flying winemaker' endeavor, these are about as far removed from any 'flying winemaker' wines we've ever tasted. Because the goal is total terroir transparency, the wines are all made in an almost identical manner at separate facilities located in each area. The grapes are all hand harvested and then foot trodden and fermentations occur only with native yeasts. Aging takes place in either concrete, older barrels, or some combination of the two. A small dose of sulfur is added judiciously at bottling if needed.

These are singular, stirring bottles that deserve attention of anyone who enjoys great wine. While we only receive tiny quantities of these wines each vintage, we've been squirreling away our allocations in anticipation of sending out an offer that showcases the project in greater depth. If we've caught your interest, please do not hesitate in placing your order. These will disappear about as quickly as we can hit send. 

The bottles below are offered on a first come, first served basis. Follow the links below to purchase on our site or call/email us if you need some assistance.

Cheers,
  
THE WINES
Please reply to this email with requests for all listings with a ** 

Notes below are from Envinate's importer, José Pastor
ENVINATE - VINO DE MESA, ALBAHRA, GARNACHA TINTORERA 2016
24 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
$19.99/BOTTLE
"This wine is sourced from a single 30 year old vineyard that is divided into 3 parcels at 800 meters elevation in the Almansa region, around the town of Albacete. The grape is Garnacha Tintorera (or Alicante Bouchet), and the soils are chalky, clay-calcareous. The wine is wild yeast fermented with 50% whole grape clusters in 4500 liter cement vats, with soft pigeage and a short maceration of 7 days; then raised in cement for 8 months. The result is a remarkably fresh wine with earthy dark fruit and spice."
 
ENVINATE - BENJE TINTO 2016
9 BOTTLES AVAILABLE | 6 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE**
$27.99/BOTTLE | $75.00/MAGNUM**
"Benje Tinto is sourced from 1,000 meters elevation, old-vine, pie franco parcels of Listan Prieto (Mission) with a bit of Tintilla, named “Masca,” “La Zanja,” “Valle de Arriba,” and “Llano Redondo”, all of them located in Santiago del Teide. Each parcel is hand-harvested and vinified separately, some in concrete and some in small open tubs. Maceration is 10-30 days (depending on parcel) with daily punch-down; malolactic fermentation is in neutral French barriques, then raised 8 months in the same barrels without battonage or added SO2. Bottling is without fining or filtration. This is a pure and vertical expression of high elevation, volcanic Canary terruno with notes of red fruits, peppercorns, flowers, and volcanic soil - a beautiful wine to pair with grilled meats and mojo rojo."
 
ENVINATE - RIBEIRA SACRA, LOUSAS VINA DE ALDEA 2015
9 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
$34.00/BOTTLE
"Aldea means “village” in Gallego; thus, this is Envínate’s “village wine”, produced from a combination of minimum- 60-year-old plots located in the ancient vineyard region of Ribeira Sacra. This cuvee is made up of 90-95% Mencía with other co-planted varietals blended in. The native vines are grown on steep slopes made of slate and sit in between 400-600 meters elevation. This vintage Viña de Aldea was foot-trodden in open top plastic tubs, fermented spontaneously with wild yeasts, with 40% whole clusters included, and raised in old barrels for 11 months with no racking and no SO2 added until bottling. It is a very fresh and elegant vino tinto with classic, lifted aromatics of black pepper, pomegranate, and herbs, which leads to an elegant and crystalline palate with loads of saveur, peppery tannins, and a dry finish."
 
ENVINATE - TAGANAN TINTO 2015
9 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
$34.00/BOTTLE
"This cuvee is made from many different red grape varieties native to the Canary Islands, some of them unidentified, but include Listan Negro, Listan Gaucho, Malvasia Negro. The parcels are very old and planted in between 75-300 meters elevation right on the Atlantic Ocean and are farmed by 15 different families and Envínate. The viticulture in the Taganan area of Tenerife is very old-fashioned: the vines grow untrained, the soil is worked by hand, and no chemicals are used. The wine is wild yeast fermented with 30% whole grape clusters in open plastic tubs and concrete tanks; Raised in small tanks and used 225 and 500 liter barrels for around 8 months. This is a fresh and aromatic vino tinto with notes of spice, smoky minerals, and dark fruits – to pair with roasted meats, spicy foods, wild game, and the Canaries’ own red mojo."
 
ENVINATE - TAGANAN TINTO 2014
2 BOTTLES AVAILABLE
$36.00/BOTTLE
 
ENVINATE - Tinto Amarela, Parcela ValdemedEL 2015**
3 BOTTLES AVAILABLE**
$38.00/BOTTLE**
"Produced from the Tinta Amarela grape. Parcela Valdemedel faces north, and sits at 500 meters elevation in the village of Alange in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura. The soil here is composed of limestone and the climate is harshly continental with the high elevation playing a major role in the end wine. The grapes are foot-trodden in small plastic tubs, and fermentation begins with wild yeasts, with a short maceration of 8 days. Malolactic fermentation happens spontaneously in used 500 liter French oak barrels, where the wine will stay without racking for 11 months. Parcela Valdemedel is a beautiful vino tinto with notes of black and red fruits, aromatic herbs, and wet-stone minerality, with a freshness and vivacity rarely seen in red wines grown this far south."
 
ENVINATE - Ribeira Sacra, Lousas Parcela Camino Novo 2015**
3 BOTTLES AVAILABLE**
$52.99/BOTTLE**
"Camiño Novo, or “new road”, is a small single parcel located in the prime Amandi subzone of Ribeira Sacra. This parcel faces south-east, forming a small amphitheater at 430 meters elevation. The vines are 70 years old and is made up of 90% Mencía and 10% Garnacha Tintorera.  According to Alfonso Torrente, a native to the area, Camiño Novo is a significantly cooler site for the area.  This parcel yields wines that are tight, ethereal, very focused, with great mineral depth, all the while maintaining the exotic floral, herbal, and spice aromatics that make Mencía-based wines so intriguing. The wine was made with 100% whole grape clusters and raised for 11 months in a mix of used 300 and 400 liter barrels. Stored well, we think this wine has many years ahead of it."