Artífice Serie Impares No. 05 2017

Borja Pérez is a key winemaker in the revitalization of wine in Tenerife. From the Orotava Valley, he is restoring old vineyards and native varieties, producing Atlantic wines under the Artífice brand that are precise and deeply linked to the volcanic landscape. He works with respectful viticulture and minimal intervention in the winery.

Serie Impares is his most unique and experimental line: very limited micro-vinifications, from unique plots or processes, conceived as almost unrepeatable editions that explore new expressions of the territory or forms of winemaking. These are extraordinary wines—in terms of production and character—conceived as almost unrepeatable pieces, where Borja freely explores new interpretations of the territory while always remaining consistent with his philosophy of authenticity and origin.

This wine number 5 (No. 05) is made with Listán Blanco grapes from the Finca el Caramelo estate, located at high altitude, with the vines grown on tall trellises, traditional in this area. Harvested in 2017, the grapes macerate and ferment with their skins for 20 days (less time than the previous edition), after which the wine is aged for two years in a used 228-liter French oak barrel. It is not stabilized nor clarified, only gently filtered before bottling in January 2020.

Only 287 bottles made!

Our impressions: the wine needs good aeration (or decanting) to reveal delicious aromas of stone fruit (apricot), pear, red apple, all ripe, acacia honey, salted caramel, and a slight hint of volcanic minerals. On the palate, the tannins from the skins are slightly noticeable, but the wine is well balanced with a long, salty finish. To be enjoyed with time and good company.