Why it matters
The producer
El Grifo combines a family winery in San Bartolomé with vineyards within La Geria's Protected Landscape. Brothers Juan José and Fermín Otamendi are the fourth generation of their family to run the estate. The principal grapes are Malvasía Volcánica and Listán Negro, with Listán Negro appearing in both rosé and red wines.
The producer's vineyards are worked by hand, while the cellar combines family continuity with modern equipment. El Grifo has also moved all its wines to natural yeast fermentation since the 2020 harvest.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
El Grifo's winery is in San Bartolomé, Lanzarote, while its vineyards lie within La Geria's Protected Landscape. The vineyard area is defined by volcanic ground and Atlantic winds, with cultivation shaped by the ash that covers the island.
Lanzarote appears as the appellation on the two listed wines. La Geria describes the vineyard landscape where El Grifo tends its vines, and San Bartolomé identifies the winery's home.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
El Grifo tends 100 hectares of vineyards within La Geria's Protected Landscape. The annual vineyard work is done by hand, and the harvest is described as among the earliest in Europe.
The farming model uses compost in solid, extract and tea forms, with the stated aim of returning resources to the soil while avoiding chemicals and waste. Photovoltaic panels generate nearly 60% of the energy the winery consumes.
Wines to know
The range in view
Rosado de Lágrima is the rosé, while Colección Tinto is the red. Both 2018 wines are made entirely from Listán Negro. The two bottles present the same grape in different colours and through different cellar approaches.
The current Rosado de Lágrima uses brief skin maceration to extract aroma while softening the natural tannins of the grape. Colección Tinto belongs to the red wine side of the range, where separate grape lots allow different cellar treatments before the final wine is assembled.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Choose El Grifo Colección Tinto. It is the red expression of Listán Negro, with a cellar method built around separate grape lots. El Grifo processes homogeneous lots, avoids crushing the grapes, and uses short, temperature controlled macerations.