Listan Blanco, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

This wine is like a great-gilled island god who rose in a storm of damp, volcanic ash, windswept brush and salt crystals. A former race car mechanic, Borja Perez is now a rising star of the Canary Island’s natural wine scene, implementing sustainable and biodynamic farming techniques since 2011 aimed at bringing long-forgotten local vines back to life. ‘Artifice’ was grown on sandy, stony basalt soils, lending that uniquely Canary Island, salt-soaked volcanic minerality. Made from 100% Listan Blanco, which is actually Palomino, the grape used in the making of Sherry, wow! 72% fermented and aged in large French oak, 20% in concrete, and 8% in concrete with skins (for 25 days) to provide greater aromatic complexity. Bronze in colour, with persistent honeysuckle, sleek clove, bitter lemon, tidal pool, kadota fig & a luxuriously fine mineral fishing net to catch hold of everything. Drink with a cod salad sandwich, tuna ceviche & 24+ assorted oysters – gluttony who?