The wines of Pablo Matallana: Canary Island expressions from Lanzarote and Tenerife
5/29/23 -
Here at Chambers Street Wines, our fascination and passion for Canary Island wines spans over a decade, from our earliest experiences with the unique wines of the region by way of producers like Bermejos, Tajinaste and Fronton de Oro, to the visionary wines of Borja Perez, and the precise and site specific releases from Envinate. We've done our best to accurately understand the "Canary funk" expressed most often in wines from Tenerife, and more specifically the Orotava D.O. This mix of a common type of reduction and a volcanic smokiness inevitably baffles one or all of our friends, and continues to be a unique mystery of these wines, a regional signature, so to speak. Though a deep dive into our favorite Canary wines is long overdue, today's email is all about the soulful wines of Pablo Matallana, a Canary native whose wines encapsulate all of the magic, precision and singularity of the region.
Originally born in Tenerife, Pablo's family comes from Lanzarote, and he has developed connections and acquired vineyards on both islands. He's even working on a tiny project in Fuertaventura! Over many years, Pablo has established close relationships with families in the Canary Islands that have been tending vineyards for generations. All of the vineyards are very small and the work seems somewhat painstaking, but Pablo is full of passion, pride, and a deep sense of gratitude for the connections he has been able to forge with these local families and the chance to share their history with the world through these unique wines. Meeting him recently during his first visit to New York was a joy. He was completely wide-eyed, having just arrived from the airport to meet us for a quick meal at Cervo's in the Lower East Side, but once his excitement subsided, we talked for a while about his project, his heritage, and the great honor that he feels. He is not only humbled by his work with the families in Lanzarote and Tenerife, but also very proud to be in a position to produce wines from these ancient sites, and tell the story of the Canary Islands to the rest of the world.
Pablo didn't come from a winemaking family, but he studied at the well-respected oenology school in Valencia, before stints in Chile and Catalunya (Priorat). It's actually a bit impressive to think that his first vintage in the Canary Islands was in 2015, as his wines are already so balanced and his approach with each wine so deeply thought out and intentional. Most of the vineyards that Pablo works with are in Lanzarote, near the Timanfaya National Park. The area is extremely dry, and winds batter the island constantly, necessitating the hoyos (walled holes) or zanjas (trenches) that are dug into the ground in order to protect the vines.
Though I've never been to the Canary Islands*, I have spoken with enough winemakers and friends to understand that it is truly a unique place in the world, especially for viticulture. Images help to portray the landscape and pique the curiosity. The wines play their part too, and Pablo's are perhaps the most perfect choice for an introduction. His winemaking is precise and though I did mention the occasional experience with reduction, particularly with wines from the Orotava DO in Tenerife, Pablo's wines are mostly from Lanzarote, are free of the mystifiying aromas of reduction, and do not require the patience or 30-40 minutes of air that we often give to the "funkier" wines from the area. We couldn't think of a better way to dive into the wines of the Canary Islands than with these offerings from Pablo, and are very happy to be able to highlight his wines in a relatively comprehensive way for the first time!
If anyone wants to dig deeper on the viticultural history of the Canary Islands, we highly recommend reading this article that goes into more detail. For now, we'll leave you with a quote that Pablo provided with his 2021 release:
"...There will be no real development without alternative policies that respect the sustainable relationship between and among humans and their environment....” Fundación César Manrique Manifiesto por la Sostenibilidad de Lanzarote. 1999
