Island Wines Summit: Sea Wines Without Borders, a brilliant tasting with Josep Roca
I’m at the Island Wines Summit in Tenerife. The first tasting, with Josep Roca, of El Cellar de Can Roca, was full of interest.
He’s a thoughtful, articulate presenter, and I particular enjoyed him telling the story behind these wines. His descriptions were also spot on. Those who heard his presentation in the original Spanish said that it was very special indeed. Here are my notes.
JR Brice Domaine de L’lIe d’Yeu Blanc du Caillou Chenin 2023 L’Ile d’Yeu, France
This is the first release of this wine. From the island of Yeu, granite soils on the southwest coast. No added sulfites, made in stainless steel. Crisp, tight and fruity with a lemony edge to the palate, as well as some stony detail. Very juicy, fine and linear with focus and precision. High acidity. Lemon and a touch of apple. A distinctive and lovely wine. 94/100
Justino’s Projects Listrão Biological 2024 DOP Madeirense, Porto Santo, Portugal
11% alcohol. From the island of Porto Santo, next to Madeira, which has a different climate and a limestone base. Palomino, old vines, trained along the ground, stainless steel. The grapes are 5€ a kilo, and there are only three tonnes harvested on the island. Textured and stony with pure, restrained lemon and pear fruit, some green apple and a touch of almond. Has good mineral extract, but tastes relatively low in acidity. This is a lovely wine, quite transparent and stony. So textural and distinctive, and quite subtle. Smooth. 93/100
Azores Wine Company Arinto dos Açores Solera NV DO Pico, Azores, Portugal
From Antonio Macanita. Heroic viticulture on this island. Toast, bread, mineral and spice on the nose, with some bright lemon. The palate is concentrated and has a wide dynamic range with real intensity, salinity, some minerality but also some richer notes. Complex and intriguing, combining bass, middle and treble. Quite lovely, with lively citrus, some creaminess, some honey and toast. 94/100
Domaine De Kalathas 10 +12 Aspro Potamisi 2022 Tinos, Greece
Very old vines in granite soils. No added sulfites, short pressing with a slight maceration, mostly stainless steel, aged on lees. Orange in colour. This has a nutty, oxidative nose with some almond and pear notes as well as ripe apple. The palate is rich but smooth with some flatness, and relatively low acidity. Subtle stone and salt notes in the background, and a hint of bitterness right at the end. Distinctive in this natural style, but quite pure. The oxidative characters smooth this out and make it a bit savoury. 93/100
Suertes del Marques Vidonia VP Listan Blanco 2016 Valle de la Orotava, Tenerife
13% alcohol. Josep brought this wine from the cellar of Can Roca (he had 120 bottles). This is complex, fine and is developing in interesting ways, with notes of toast and nuts as well as a saline, lemony core to the palate. This has lovely mineral concentration, and it has developed some savoury notes to complement the fruit intensity. Beautifully expressive with nice tension. This is beautiful. 95/100
4 Kilos Vinicola Motor Gold 2014 Mallorca, Spain
This is another wine that Josep has brought from his cellars. No added sulfites, kept in 67 litre clay vessels. Cloudy amber in colour. This is complex and lively with some tea and herb notes, with some mandarin and spice. So textural and layered, with nice freshness and brightness, but also some depth. Mineral, finishing tapered and alert. This has developed in such interesting ways. Long finish. 95/100
Sugrue South Downs Pinot Noir 2022 Essex, England
This comes from the Crouch Valley, from Mason’s Point Vineyard. Pomerol-style clay soils. One 500 litre barrel. Lovely intensity with raspberry and cherry fruit with a hint of beetroot, and then some savoury, spicy notes from the oak. Great concentration here with lovely focused fruit. Juicy and quite mineral, with a stony edge, and also a bit of spicy oak. This is impressive. 94/100
Corvus Vineyards Pasito 2015 Bozcaada Island, Turkey
From the Vasilaki grape. Grapey and limey on the nose. Some raisin and nut. Powerful, complex, grapey and lemony with some real brightness on the finish. Apricot and some wax, with juiciness and intensity. Finishes lively. Real complexity and power here: sweet but balanced. 94/100
