While Tenerife often dominates the conversation regarding Canary Island viticulture, the work being done on Gran Canaria by Carmelo Peña Santana is reshaping the narrative of the entire archipelago.
Having cut his teeth with Dirk Niepoort in Portugal, Carmelo returned to his native island to launch the Bien de Altura project. These are wines born of extreme conditions: ungrafted vines (pie franco) situated at dizzying elevations of 1,100 to 1,400 meters in the San Mateo district.
The winemaking here is decidedly low-intervention but rejects the flaws sometimes associated with the movement. These are wines of architectural precision—crystalline, savory, and relentlessly vertical. They channel the volcanic soils and the Atlantic trade winds with startling clarity.
For a long time, the benchmark for Canary Island wine was "reduction"—that smoky, matchstick, sometimes funky quality often associated with the volcanic soils of Tenerife. Carmelo, influenced by his time with Dirk Niepoort, champions a style of "infusion over extraction." His wines are less about that heavy volcanic funk and more about the purity of fruit & floral aromatics.
Quantities are very limited, including a back-vintage of the 'Tidao.'
2022 Bien de Altura, Ikewen, Gran Canaria 7 btls @ $58/btl
"Ikewen" (Berber for "origin") is the entry point, though it lacks nothing in complexity. A field blend of Listán Negro, Listán Prieto, and indigenous varieties from sandy, volcanic slopes. The 2022 offers crunchy red berries, white pepper, and a distinctive note of crushed pumice. It is nervous and high-toned, driven by bright acidity rather than extraction.
2022 Bien de Altura, Agan, Gran Canaria - 9btls @ $74/btl
Sourced from the cooler, north-facing slopes, ‘Agan’ shows a darker, more brooding mineral profile. There is a density here that requires air to unfurl, revealing notes of dried herbs, iron, and tart black fruit. The structure is fine-grained but firm, suggesting a wine that will reward patience in the cellar. A serious, chiseled expression of mountain viticulture.
Tidao
A field blend from some of the highest plots, Tidao captures the tension between the searing sun and the cooling Alisios winds.
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2021 Tidao Bien de Altura, Gran Canaria - 4 btls @ $59.99/btl:
With a year of bottle age, the 2021 has settled into a savory groove. The tannins have integrated, allowing the saline, smoky character of the terroir to take center stage.
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2022 Tidao Bien de Altura - 12+ btls @ $74/btl:
The current release is tightly coiled and electric. It possesses a laser-like focus, oscillating between citrus pith, red currant, and flint.
If you would like to do a deep dive on Carmelo Peña Santana, our friends at The Source have an incredibly comprehensive write-up here!
