Fronton de Oro

11/22/11 -

(Bush Vines and a Clear Blue Sky)

A week doesn’t go by without at least one or two customers coming into the store wanting to know more about wine from the Canaries. I used to think of the cluster of Spanish islands as a semi-tropical vacation spot for European ravers. Until a few years ago I had no idea that Lanzarote, La Palma or Tenerife made good wine, thanks to the efforts of Jose Pastor for importing these amazing producers.

At a recent David Bowler portfolio tasting (the New York distributor for this wine) I got to try a very distinctive Canary wine from Fronton de Oro. Located in Gran Canaria, which is the second-largest Canary island, Fronton de Oro is reminiscent of some northern Italian wines, offering floral and earthy aromas, while its bright acidity is indicative of soaring altitudes (1000-plus meters above sea level).

The Ramirez family own 6 hectares of vineyards located in the hills of La Lechuza, known locally as “El Fronton.” They cultivate indigenous grapes varieties: Tintilla, Listan Negro and Preto, and practice organic farming (though are not certified) the grapes are 100% de-stemmed and the wine is tank-fermented . Once malolactic fermentation is complete, the wine is racked into used American and French barrels. The traditional cuvèe spends two to three months in barrel, while Malpais spends four to six months in oak.

A regular customer recently came into CSW to purchase a wine to go with his steak. I handed him a bottle of the Malpais. The following day his wife came to collect six more bottles, and recounted how the wine reminded them of the wines they would drink when on holiday in Spain and Italy. Fronton de Oro’s wines are transporting for me; the aromas are evocative of Lebanese rosewater and forest floor.

For the level of complexity both Fronton wines offer, the prices are insane. There isn’t much of the Malpais around; we managed to get 3 cases. Don’t wait. Try the wine for yourself and let us know where the experience takes you. – P.G.