2020 Benje, Tinto, Envínate, Tenerife, Spain

Dusty red cherries, red plums, white pepper and fresh herbs on the nose follow through to a supple, medium-bodied palate that’s natural and juicy, rounded with refined, caressing tannins. Lots of fruit coating here. 85% Listan Prieto (mission/pais) and 5% Listan Blanco, the rest Tintilla and Listan Negro.Drink nowjames_suckling, jamessuckling_com (September 2022)

I also tasted the red varietal Listán Prieto (a.k.a. País, Criolla Chica, Mission) 2020 Benje Tinto from a similarly dry and warm vintage as 2019, vinified and aged in the same way with indigenous yeasts and matured in neutral oak barrels for eight months. It feels a little closed (reductive?) but with a great palate. These 2020s have very fine tannins and velvety textures. Give it a little bit of time, but this will be as good as the 2019. 20,000 bottles and 200 magnums were produced. It was bottled in June 2021.Drink 2022 - 2026Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate (February 2022)