Winemaker: Michael Candelario
Where: Puntagorda, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain
Size: 2 ha
Main Variety: Listán Blanco, Albillo Criollo, Vijariego, Listan Negro & Listan Prieto
Viticulture: Organic Certified
Quick note: 100-200 year old vines, ungrafted, volcanic and 600-1400m elevation
Michael is a very charming and focused young winemaker, dedicating his work to his family vineyards, in the pursuit of honest and energetic wines. From sites such as his, this is absolutely possible to achieve.
On the furthest north-west island in the Canaries, La Palma rears up out of the Atlantic. The diamond shaped island bears the full brunt of the sweeping Atlantic winds that bring rain, moisture and humidity to the north-west coast. The Caldera de Taburiente rises some 2396m above the sea and thus stops much of this rainfall travelling further to the southern parts of the island. This results in volcanic soil that has a high content of developed humus structure, the clay and nutrient material is vastly different than that found in the porous volcanic rock of the south.
Michael’s family has vineyards perched on the hillside and in valleys 600-1400m in elevation. Mostly between 100-200 years old, Michael has started to replant vines when necessary, all are ungrafted and all are rainfed. Always helping in the family work, it was after school Michael joined his grandfather in the vineyards, and completed his viticultural education. He is the fourth generation to join the farm, but the first to vinify himself in 2023, the family previously growing grapes to sell to the local cooperative.
Michael has so far focused on producing two cuvées; a white and a red. These are blends of the vineyards and terraces, and he follows a similar ‘low-intervention’ winemaking style to his friend Iñaki over on Tenerife. Gentle pressings, spontaneous fermentations, usage of stainless steel, amphora and oak and a small addition of SO2.
There is so much to describe, after visiting the vineyards, perched high above the clouds, the ethereal energy of the place is absolutely conveyed through this thoughtful and gentle winemaker into the bottle.
