Description
Owned and run by winemaker Ignacio Valdera, Bermejos is on the easternmost island of Lanzarote. Only 125km from the African coast, conditions here are extreme. A volcanic explosion that lasted from 1730 to 1736 covered the entire island in lava and ash 3-5 meters deep. Consequently, each vine must be planted in a hole or hoyo that breaks through that infertile volcanic crust of petrified lava to the organic matter that can nourish it. The wind, which acts as a natural fungicide, is so ferocious that each hoyo is surrounded by rock walls for protection. The flora on Lanzarote—including the vines—cannot grow very high; there are not enough nutrients in the soil to support sprawling greenery. Yields are minuscule (16 hL/ha), and each berry is concentrated with flavor. All vineyard work is done meticulously by hand. Listán Negro is also known as Listán Prieto or Palomino Negro and is very closely related to País, grown in Chile, and Mission, grown in Arizona. Listán Negro is hardly grown at all in Europe—it was wiped out by the phylloxera epidemic—but it is widely planted on the Canary Islands, where it covers almost 12,000 acres of land. 100% Listán Negro, 100% carbonic maceration. An extremely fresh and bright wine meant to be drunk young and with a chill.
