La Diego - Diego (23)

Diego (Vijiriega/Vigiriega/Vijiriego) | wijngaarden rondom de Juan Bello, nabij Masdache | stokken 100+ jaar oud | vulkanische klei met kalksteen | whole bunch press naar staaltank voor 1 nacht | vergisting en rijping in twee 500 liter eikenhouten vaten voor 10 maanden | 1150 flessen | rijper in '23 | voller | zachte perzik | wat romig en rokerig | fijne frisheid | steen/as

” ‘Diego’ refers to the eponymous variety of this wine, native to lanzarote and concentrated around the skirt of the volcano ‘Juan Bello’ near the town of Masdache. Until recently, this variety was in danger of disappearing as it was often tore up in favor of the more common Malvasía Volcánica. Its unique profile and its nativity to the island make for an exceptional wine well worth its own label. Diego is known for its late ripening (often at least one month after all of the malvasía volcanica has been harvested), its thick skin and its neutral aromatic profile. The vines in this part of the island are planted in shallow holes or ‘hoyos’ whose soils contain an interesting mix of volcanic clay with some compacted limestone.”

Jable de Tao

Een fantastisch nieuw project op het oudste vulkanische Canarische Eiland, Lanzarote. Een gave combinatie van lokale druivenrassen, minimale interventie, laag alcohol en jonge 'new wave' energie die wil bewijzen dat ze met respect voor de natuur en mens, authentieke producten kunnen produceren met een groot herkomst gevoel. Alle wijngaarden zijn biologisch, sommige in eigendom en sommige van lokale telers. Een naam om in de gaten te houden!

Review

The 2023 Paraje La Diego was produced with Vijariego Blanco grapes in the zone of the Juan Bello volcano and Tisalaya in La Geria in Lanzarote. This variety is less aromatic than Malvasía and transmits the character of the soils in a strong way. Here, the soils covered with volcanic ash have limestone. The full clusters were pressed after being sorted, and the juice was let to settle for 24 hours. It fermented in second-use French oak barrels, where it matured for 10 months. Winemaker Carmelo Peña likes the variety, and this year, it went through full malolactic. In this vintage, the wine has less volume and doesn't have a lot of acidity, but it has freshness. The bunches are tight and can develop botrytis, but in 2023, the grapes were healthy (2024 was a lot more complicated). It has some smoky and creamy notes, but the oak is neatly integrated into the wine. It has 12% alcohol with a pH of 3.24. 1,150 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2024. 94/100 Luis Gutiérrez

2023 is the second vintage from Jable de Tao, a family winery created in Tias in Lanzarote, from a year with a large crop. They own 16 hectares of vines and purchase grapes from 30 growers from different parts of the island. Carmelo Peña is in charge of winemaking. There's a lot less oak in the 2023 wines, because in 2022 everything was new. Also in 2022, all wines went through malolactic, whereas in 2023, only two whites (Diego and Chupadero) went through it. Production is 20,000 bottles, but in the bumper crop of 2023, they produced 45,000 bottles.