Year after year, we fall in love with the wines of Envinate, a collaborative project founded by four winemakers and friends who met while in enology school in Alicante. Roberto Santana, Alfonso Torrente, Laura Ramos, and José Martínez make wines from choice plots in the Canary Islands, Ribeira Sacra, Murcia, and Almansa, intending to express the unique terroirs of each region. They have eliminated all invasive chemical treatments in the vineyards and are  producing wines with methods in the cellar that transmit the character of their plots. To this end, they pick by hand, ferment with native yeasts, and ferment and age in old wood and concrete.  As they progress on their journey, they have been honing their winemaking skills, and deepening their relationship with the vineyards they tend, and the unique terroirs and grapes they work with.

In Ribeira Sacra, they work with several plots over a range of soil types.The Vinas de Aldea is Envínate’s “village wine”, produced from a combination of –minimum- 60-year-old plots. The native vines are grown on steep slopes made of slate and sit in between 400-600 meters elevation. 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. Seaone is a single parcel located in the Doade area of Amandi, Ribeira Sacra.  Once again, the soils are pure slate.  The vineyard faces south-west, and the vines are very old, at least 80 years of age. This site yields wines that are upfront and very Atlantic. Misturado is sourced from a centenarian parcel located in Ribeiras do Sil.

While the last two vintages from the Canary Islands (2021 and 2022s) were relatively similar, with good conditions overall, the difference between 2021 and 2022 in Ribeira Sacra was stark. As our friends at Jose Pastor Selections explain: "While 2021 felt like a vintage from the 1980s, with abundant rain, a warm spring, and harvest beginning in the second week of September, 2022 was the driest year on record in the area. Most of the year’s rain came in June - while much-needed, summer dampness meant considerable mildew pressure and reduced yields. Harvest was about a week earlier in ‘22, and the wines show a bit more fruit and warmth."

We were able to taste two of the reds wines (only red wines are produced from Envinate's Ribeira Sacra project) from the 2022 release before sending this article, and we can confirm that the wines are savory and deep, with darker fruit than previous vintages. We still find the trademark elegance and depth we have come to love from these wines, but with more "meat on the bone" in 2022.