2019 Pablo Matallana Vinícola Taro Blanco Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain

A volcanic island white with citrus oil, salt, smoke, and the kind of mineral tension that makes a table sit up straighter.

Why We Love It

This is the bottle for the person who says,
“I want white wine… but I want it to feel alive.”

Pablo Matallana’s 2019 Taro Blanco is one of those wines that makes you stop after the first sip and just smile a little. Because it doesn’t taste like “white wine” in the generic sense. It tastes like Lanzarote — a stark, windswept volcanic island where vines are planted in black ash, protected from the Atlantic wind, and forced to find beauty in a place that looks almost impossible.

Made from 100% Malvasía (young vines), this is a white that brings lemon oil, quince, peach skin, saline minerality, smoke, and herbal depth in a way that feels both electric and grounded.

Not fruity.
Not soft.
Not anonymous.

This is a bottle with salt, stone, and a pulse.

Tasting Notes

In the glass: Light gold with a subtle burnished glow — not flashy, just quietly luminous.

On the nose: Gun flint, lemon oil, delicate florals, and that unmistakable Lanzarote signature of salt and warm volcanic stone. One trusted retailer’s note on this bottling specifically calls out gun flint, lemon oil, and delicate florality, which is exactly the right frame here.

On the palate: Citrus peel, quince, bruised apple, orchard fruit, and a distinct saline-mineral backbone. CellarTracker notes on the 2019 specifically mention peach, quince, bruised apple, and wonderful minerality, while an independent tasting note captures orange, tangerine, lemon, melon, pear, apple, smoke, and a kiss of salt — which all fits the wine’s beautifully layered island character.

Structure: Medium-bodied with bright acidity, a lightly textural feel from lees aging, and a finish that feels both coastal and volcanic. There’s freshness here, but also real shape. It doesn’t just refresh — it lingers.

This is not your “easy porch white.”
This is a white for curious people.

The Story

The 2019 Taro Blanco is made entirely from young Malvasía, one of the most important native white grapes of the Canary Islands. For this vintage, the fruit came from a vineyard called La Vegueta on the northern side of Lanzarote, where the vines are planted in zanjas — trench-style plantings designed to protect the vines from wind and capture moisture in this dry, volcanic landscape.

The grapes were hand-harvested in mid-August, destemmed, and pressed into stainless steel, where the juice underwent a cold soak to settle and clarify before native yeast fermentation. The wine then aged 9 months on fine lees and was bottled the following May without fining or filtration.

The official tech sheet also confirms the core frame:

• DO Lanzarote

• Locality: Tinajo

• Atlantic climate with strong winds

• Malvasía

• Volcanic ash over clay soils

That matters, because this wine doesn’t feel manufactured.
It feels like it came from a very specific place that refuses to be generic.

Pairing Ideas

This is the bottle for seafood, citrus, spice, and anything that tastes better with olive oil and salt.

We’d pair it with:

• Shrimp tacos

• Ceviche

• Grilled prawns with lemon

• Crispy calamari

• Anchovies + buttered toast

• Citrusy salads

• White beans + herbs

• Spicy seafood dishes

A retailer specifically calls out lighter seafood fare, shrimp tacos, crisp refreshing salads, and ceviche — and that’s dead on.

Why It Works

Because it tastes like island wine without trying too hard to tell you it’s island wine.

It’s not “weird” for the sake of being weird.
It’s not polished into sameness.

It’s salty. Smoky. Bright. A little wild.
And it reminds people that white wine can be emotional, mineral, and deeply place-driven.

This is the kind of bottle that earns trust in a shop like yours.

Technical Notes

Producer: Pablo Matallana / Vinícola Taro
Wine: Taro Blanco
Vintage: 2019
Region: Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain
Appellation: DO Lanzarote

Variety: 100% Malvasía (young vines)

Vineyard:
La Vegueta, northern side of Lanzarote

Locality (tech sheet):
Tinajo

Vine Training / Terroir Context:
Traditional zanjas (trench plantings) in volcanic ash over clay, designed to protect vines from Atlantic winds and preserve moisture.

Winemaking (2019 vintage):

• Hand-harvested mid-August

• Destemmed

• Pressed to stainless steel

• Cold soak to settle / rack off solids

• Native yeast fermentation

• Aged 9 months on fine lees

• Bottled the following May

• Unfined and unfiltered

Body: Medium
Acidity: High / saline / fresh
Texture: Lightly textural from lees aging

ABV: Not confidently confirmed for 2019 from a reliable primary source — intentionally omitted rather than guessed.

Flavor Profile:
Lemon Oil · Quince · Peach Skin · Gun Flint · Sea Salt · Volcanic Stone

Serving Temperature:
50–55°F

Drink Window:
Now–2027