Thursday, 12 January 2017 16:51

Don Justo: A Superb Gran Canaria Red Wine

Don Justo is one of the best Gran Canaria red wines we've ever tried Don Justo is one of the best Gran Canaria red wines we've ever tried photosgrancanaria.com

This classy Gran Canaria red, made from grapes grown in the hills just behind Maspalomas, is one of the best Canarian wines we've tasted.

It's a blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, two grapes famous for producing mild, easy-drinking red wines. So mild in fact, that they are often blended with more intense varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

However, given the intense Gran Canaria sunshine and highly volcanic young soils, composer-turned-vintner Justus Franz made a good choice of vines when he planted his Finca Interminable over 30 years ago.

Grape juice that would be produce innocuous wine anywhere else, becomes a superb brew after it's been exposed to the hot days and cool nights of south Gran Canaria's hills. 

Don Justo is 14.5º and matured in French oak so therefore not a light merlot-style red. Instead, it's a medium-bodied, smooth, fruity wine; young, but with a hint of jamminess that must come from those merlot grapes ripened in the south Gran Canaria sunshine. There's plenty of black fruit and berry flavour but none of the peppery, almost-gunpowdery aftertaste you get from Canarian red wines made with the Listan Negro (Mission) grape.

There is a touch of acidity in there but this wine is big enough to mellow and improve with time in the bottle.

Lex says: Open this wine and let it breathe for an hour. The difference is huge.

Finca Interminable only produces a few thousand bottles of Don Justo every year so it's not an easy wine to get hold of. We tried it at the Casa Montesdeoca restaurant in old town Vegueta. It's currently the only restaurant on the island to stock it. 

A must-try wine if you really want to know how good Gran Canaria red wines can be.

Alex Says: Everyone knows it, but few dare to say it. While local grape variety Listán Negro has its place, the future of red wine in Gran Canaria and the Canary Islands is in wines like Don Justo made from famous varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. 

Published in Wine

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Tip of the day

  • Tip Of The Day: Avoid Bank Card Charges By Paying In Euros
    Tip Of The Day: Avoid Bank Card Charges By Paying In Euros

    Save money and avoid rip-off bank charges while in Gran Canaria by paying in euros when using your credit or debit card.

    Many bars and restaurants in Gran Canaria, and in almost all European holiday destinations, give you the option of paying in euros or in your home currency. Opting for your own currency, while it may seem like the safer option, can add as much as 5% to the bill as it triggers dynamic currency conversion. 

    DCC basically means that the exchange rate is calculated at point of sale rather than by your bank. It allows you to see the total cost of the transaction in your own currency but adds up to 5% to the total because it uses a terrible exchange rate. 

    Since the extra money is shared between your bank and the merchant, some places will automatically bill you in your own currency and hope you don't notice. You have the legal right to refuse and void the transaction should this happen. 

    ATMs too

    The same applies when taking money out of ATM machines in Gran Canaria (and anywhere in Europe); Always choose the local currency option to avoid losing money to poor exchange rates.

    If you opt for the local currency option, using bank ATMs is often the cheapest and safest way of getting euros in Gran Canaria. It's far safer than having a big pile of euros hidden in your room or tucked into your shorts.

    More details in this Daily Telegraph article.

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