Almost 40 local grape varieties hace been identified in the Balearic Islands. Photo credits: A.C.
When I last visited Mallorca in 2018, its leading producers were moving away from international varieties and focusing on local grapes. Not only because they are more in line with the trend towards less concentrated wines, but also because they are better adapted to the challenges posed by climate change.
With the red varieties Manto Negro and Callet well established in Binissalem and Felanitx respectively, the first Gorgollassas began to appear after Bodega Ribas revived the red variety at the end of the 1990s. Giró Ros emerged as a fuller, more opulent white alternative to the neutral profile of Prensal (or Moll). In the area of Banyalbufar, on the west coast, the first dry Malvasias were beginning to appear. Back then, I tasted experimental samples of Escursac and Esperó de Gall from the University of the Balearic Islands, but last week I sampled commercial brands of these and other varieties such as Callet Negrella or Mancès de Tibús.
Although all these wines are produced in small quantities and many of them do not yet have the seal of a local DO or PGI (they simply certify the vintage and the variety), the scene is very promising, both in terms of average quality and the growing number of producers involved in the process. The names of Can Verdura, Soca Rel, Can Axartell, Can Majoral, Cati Ribot, FentVi, Oliver Moragues, Mortitx or Son Grau Gran should be added to the likes of 4 Kilos, Ánima Negra, Bàrbara Mesquida, Miquel Gelabert, Tianna Negre or Can Xanet that I visited in 2018.
As explained in the book Varietats de vinya de les Illes Balears (Grape varieties from the Balearic Islands), published by IRFAP (Institute for Research and Training in Agriculture and Fisheries of the Balearic Islands), the process of varietal recovery is far from complete. According to Carme Garau, the institute's plant production manager, "we are currently working with three white varieties: Argamussa, Grec and Morsacà from Ibiza. They have all been sent to the Spanish Plant Variety Office to start the registration process. Llora, a variety from Ibiza, and two others from the Pollença area and the Coanegra valley in Santa Maria del Camí are also in the pipeline. We have been working on the recovery of Vinater Blanc for years, but without success. The main problem in Mallorca is the lack of virus-free material, which is an essential requirement of the Ministry of Agriculture.
In her view, "the aim is not only to preserve the biodiversity of the vine, but also to offer the trade and consumers distinctive, original wines that have a sense of place, but also history and a winegrowing tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation".
Plant material has been sourced mainly from the grape collection at El Encín in Madrid (up to 20 varieties, after due research and clarification), as cuttings were gradually sent from Mallorca in 1914, 1942 and 1945. Prospective work in old vineyards in Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza has resulted in the discovery of another 16 varieties.
The publication also contains interesting historical references. One of the earliest documents to show the importance of vines on the island is the map of Mallorca drawn up by the clergyman Antoni Despuig i Dameto in 1785. It includes illustrations of vineyards in Binissalem, Santa Maria and Felanitx, as well as terraces overlooking the sea in Banyalbufar, where the names "Giró, Mollar, Moscatel, Malvasía, Tintorer and Pàmpol Rosat" are written on butts. A more detailed account was given by Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria in Die Balearen (1869-1891), where he draws a distinction between table grapes and wine grapes and, within the latter, their use as table wine, ordinary wine and fortified wine. Interestingly, the first mentions of Callet and Manto Negro don't appear until 1892, but from then on, these varieties began to spread, probably because they were well suited to being grafted onto American rootstocks after phylloxera and because of the generous yields.
The list of local varieties currently compiled by IRFAP comes closer to the wealth of mentions registered at different periods in history. Below we present the parentage links of Mallorcan grapes -it clarifies what we published in 2018*. There is a first lineage (A) derived from crosses with Hebén-related varieties from southeastern Spain, and a second (B) associated with Callet Negrella.
Find below the grape varieties and their wines.
This is one of the red varieties obtained from plant material from El Encín. It has great potential due to its fresh, fruit-driven character. It was authorised for cultivation in the Balearic Islands in 2016, but has not yet been included in any PGI or DO. Cati Ribot is one of the producers championing Escursac, planted on five of her 12 hectares in Santa Margalida, in the northeast of the island. It is one of the last to ripen, after Fogoneu. Ribot's Escursac (€22, 11% abv) is a low-intervention, low-alcohol, carbonic maceration red aged in uncoated amphoras made by Catalan artisan Carles Llarch, a process that enhances freshness and red fruit character.
In Binissalem, Tomeu Llabres of Can Verdura makes an Escursac that is part of his Vins Olvidats (Forgotten Grapes) collection (1,800 bottles, €16). He has a 7,000m2 plot planted with Escursac as well as Vinater Blanc and Mancès de Tibús, which he has not yet turned into wine. According to Llabres, Escursac is among the most interesting of the recovered grapes. "It is productive, has acceptable alcohol levels, a lower pH than Manto Negro and, apart from a minor problem with setting, it requires virtually no treatment". The unoaked 2022 was made from vines in their third year of production. At 12.5% abv, it has red fruit and herbal notes and is juicy and lively on the palate. In this area, Escursac is considered a medium to early ripening variety.
Soca-Rel is a benchmark for Escursac. The small project launched by Pep Rodríguez, whose main job is to look after José Luis Ferrer's vineyards, is a celebration of recovered grapes. In fact, Pep only grows local varieties.
The standard range includes three reds (all priced at €19): a Manto Negro and an Escursac, as well as a cuvée with both varieties co-fermented in equal parts. All the wines are organic, fermented with natural yeasts and unoaked. Rodríguez avoids both pre- and post-fermentation maceration, racks the wines three times and bottles them in March-April. Escursac comes from a vineyard halfway between Binissalem and Consell. It is tasty and vibrant, with earthy and red fruit aromas and a rounder texture than Can Verdura. Blended with Manto Negro, it shows extra depth and intensity. It is also firmer and has the potential to evolve in the bottle. In all cases, the alcohol content is 12.5% abv.
In Alaró, at the foot of the Sierra de Tramuntana, Son Grau Gran ages Escursac for six months in oak barrels (€16, 12% abv.) The 2021 vintage brings smoky aromas and some meaty notes to the red fruit. Son Grau Gran is a small organic wine project with 4.2Ha of vineyards planted with Escursac and Gorgollassa within a 51-hectare possessió (estate in Mallorcan) dating back to the 14th century.
With acidity levels similar to Escursac (both below 5g/l of tartaric acid according to IRFAP) and moderate alcohol, it is a fragrant variety with herbal notes and an aromatic character on the palate. Jancis Robinson described it as “rather Pinot Noir-like.” It is authorised in VT Mallorca, DO Binissalem (although limited to 30% in the blend) and DO Pla i Llevant.
I didn't have the chance to taste it on my recent trip, but Can Xanet makes one of the most interesting Gorgollassas on the island. Bàrbara Mesquida's 2022 vintage (€32, not made every year) is particularly expressive, combining freshness and consistency.
The lighter Son Grau Gran (12% abv, 2021 vintage, €19) has some oak notes on the nose, but retains the wild berry character and a certain aromatic complexity on the palate. This winery has also produced a 2022 rosé version with a higher alcohol content (13.5% abv, €13): subtle, light and with a very pale colour.
Ribas blends Gorgollassa in some of its reds and makes the low production, single-varietal rosé Sió (€22), which was unfortunately out of stock and could not be tasted. This is another producer who champions organic wines.
The same is true of Can Axartell, a estate that has been farmed organically since its first plantings in the late 1990s. Located in Pollença, in the north of the island, it is the brainchild of German cosmetics entrepreneur Hans-Peter Schwarzkopf (a stunning vertical winery has been built using the slope of an old quarry) and is increasingly shifting towards local grape varieties. The property features a 1.5ha experimental vineyard planted with a collection of varieties recovered by IRFAP. Cuttings have been generously made available to other Mallorcan producers. The 2022 Gorgollassa (12% abv, 1,640 bottles, €17) is floral, slightly wild, juicy, with gentle tannins and good acidity.
From the same area we also tasted a 2021 blend of Gorgollassa and Callet by Vinyes Mortitx (€18, 12.5% abv.), with a fresh profile, herbal notes and lighter body. The different terroirs certainly have an influence on the profile of the grape varieties.
According to IRFAP, records of this variety date back to the end of the 19th century. The plant material came from El Encín. It is already authorised in the archipelago, but it has not yet been included in any of the island's geographical indications.
Although I was only able to taste one wine from this variety, Politxó from Soca-Rel (2022, 12% abv), it is indeed distinctive: herbaceous, slightly tannic, with higher acidity (up to 5g/l of tartaric acid), moderate alcohol content, but with its own aromatic profile: definitely the wildest of the group, with nettle and tomato plant notes. It seems ideal to bring freshness and tension to blends. It works very well with Escursac, as it provides body and mid-palate.
It appears to have been a widely grown variety until the 19th century. However, the current plant material also comes from the El Encín germplasm bank. Like Esperó de Gall, it can be grown in the Balearic Islands, but it is not authorised in the different geographical indications of Mallorca.
Light in colour and of average vigour, our experience was limited to a 2022 rosé tasted at Can Axartell (11% abv), of which only 240 bottles were produced. It started a little shy but ended with notes of orange blossom and petals. Made by direct pressing, it had a lovely pale, Provencal colour.
It is often mistaken for Callet, but its genetics are different. Originally called Callet de Cas Concos, after the district of Felanitx where it was found, it was finally registered as Callet Negrella. This is the missing link that allows to trace the origins of Mallorca's main red varieties: Manto Negro and Callet.
We have tasted only one Callet Negrella wine, produced by FentVi. This is the small project of grower Joan Jordà, oenologist Sergio Navarro, who also advises Son Grau Gran, and Christian Severinsen. The vineyard is four years old. The cuttings were taken from Can Axartell. According to Navarro, "the sugar and acidity levels are higher than those of Callet, and 13% abv is easily reached; the pH is quite good by local standards, around 3.5, and like all the local red varieties, perhaps with the exception of Escursac and old-vine Manto Negro, it is light in colour". It has more substance than Callet, but as it is made from 25% whole grapes, it has more structure and ligneous nuances. Labelled organic, only 493 bottles were produced, but it represents an interesting step forward.
With remnants in Felanitx and Manacor, it has the same ampelographic characteristics as the white Giró Ros, except for its colour. Interestingly, this Giró Negre is totally different from the variety with the same name in the El Encín collection. We tasted an unoaked sample from Can Majoral, which will be released soon. Grapes are sourced from a 20-year-old vineyard, but this will be the first vintage on the market, as it was awaiting authorisation to be grown in the archipelago. The wine has a Mediterranean character, with ripe fruit, earthy notes and a combination of fresh and warm overtones.
Also found in the Cas Concos area, it is usually mistaken for the standard Fogoneu, but the genetics are different. Francesc Grimalt of 4 Kilos says that it is often mixed in old vineyards and has great potential. As far as we know, there are no commercial wines on release. The plant is very easy to recognise as the apical leaf has a bright reddish colour, as shown in the photo below.
As far as white varieties are concerned, there are barely three hectares of Malvasía de Banyalbufar or Malvasía Aromatica (the same is grown in Sitges in Catalonia and La Palma in the Canary Islands) left on the sea-facing terraces of the eponymous village in the east of the island. However, its aromatic character and high acidity have encouraged new plantings inland.
From Banyalbufar we tasted the young Tímbola 2022 (13.5% abv, 1,200 bottles, €18) by Jaume Albertí. This is a project without a cellar, advised by Sergio Navarro. The grapes come from less than a hectare of terraced vineyards planted with 15 to 20-year-old vines. The wine is clean, with notes of lavender, aniseed and citrus. It has a good balance of alcohol and acidity, but we would like to give it more time in the bottle.
We were able to compare it with a 2022 Malvasia from Pollença made by Can Axartell. This was a sample aged on the lees in foudre, with floral and honey notes, nice texture and integrated acidity. From Llubí, in the centre of the island, we tasted a white produced by FentVi. Rodder 2022 (13.5% abv, 1,992 bottles) is a blend of Malvasía with 30% Giró Ros and 10% Manto Negro, the latter two are pressed directly and fermented together. The wine, which was in a good moment to be enjoyed, showed complexity and length. According to Sergio Navarro, Malvasía ripens later in inland vineyards and often lacks the saline nuances that are present in coastal areas.
Approved in 2011, Giró Ros is clearly on the rise - we tasted plenty of white wines made from this variety during our stay in Mallorca. It has traditionally been grown in Manacor and Felanitx, in the eastern part of Mallorca, where it is championed by producers such as Toni Gelabert, the pioneer with Torre des Calonge, and Miquel Gelabert, whose Sa Vall can develop beautifully over time. Giró Ros produces full-bodied whites with a relatively high alcohol content, so it is important to pick the grapes at the right time to ensure sufficient acidity. It is also suitable for ageing in oak. It is currently authorised in VT Mallorca, DO Pla i Llevant and DO Binissalem, although the latter requires a minimum of 50% Prensal blanc or Moll in all blends, thereby making it impossible to produce single-varietal whites.
Can Majoral's organic Capgiró 2022 (14% abv., €14) blends wines aged in oak (20%) and stainless steel tanks with a skin-contact batch. The variety's distinctive opulence is clearly evident, with hints of stone fruit and sufficient acidity.
The freshest version we tasted was probably the one from Mortitx (€17). Influenced by the Sierra de Tramontana and a northern exposure, it had citrus and some floral aromas, as well as more acidity. Inland in Algaida, Oliver Moragues (2022, €18, 2,500 bottles, 13% abv.) achieves a similar level of freshness by blending early-picked grapes to gain acidity (there were citrus notes here too) with a fully ripe harvest. Fermented in 400-litre and 500-litre barrels, the oak is barely noticeable.
Perhaps my favourite Giró Ros on this occasion was Can Verdura's Ca Ses Rosetes 2022 (3,000 bottles, 13.5% abv, €24). The wine was fermented and aged for seven months in 500-litre oak casks. With aromas of white fruit and dried herbs, it didn't feel too big on the palate, but finished with interesting saline nuances. This is probably a good choice to lay down and check its evolution.
The most exotic wine was made by Tianna Negre, a producer based in Binissalem. TN 5.2 Orange 2019 from 'Colección Boutique' (€35) had a lower-than-average alcohol content (12% abv) and wasn't very structured. It had aromas of stone fruit and dried herbs, with noticeable but well-integrated tannins and a pleasant bitterness on the finish.
The plant material found in the villages of Porreres and Montuiri matches that of the germplasm bank in El Encín. Although it has not yet been authorised for cultivation in the archipelago, it looks like Vinater could be a future star in Mallorca, especially since its acidity is much higher than anything grown in the island (6.2 g/l of tartaric acid, according to IRFAP).
Pep Rodríguez, who for a while refused to plant white varieties, fell in love with Vinater at a tasting of recovered varieties. The trials he has carried out so far are promising. As well as white flowers, honeyed nuances and raw almond aromas, the wines are firm and charged with bright acidity that results in a long finish. It will be interesting to see the evolution of Vinater Blanc in the bottle and how it copes with oak.
Most of the wines we have mentioned so far can only be found in Mallorca, so perhaps this guide might help readers travelling to the island this summer (over 16 million people visited the archipelago in 2022). As an added bonus, organic farming seems to be the norm among producers focused on local varieties. What I missed was tasting wines from past vintages to see the evolution of this new breed of grape varieties (quality Giró Ros benefits from a few years in bottle, not to mention Malvasía). With the buoyant local market thirsty for wine, almost everything I tasted was from the 2022 vintage.
HOW THE PROCESS OF RECOVERING ANCIENT VARIETIES WORKS
(According to Carme Garau, plant production manager at IRFAP)
First stage. It involves preliminary studies (ampelography, genetic identification, historical links, etc.) and the processing of plant material to meet regulatory requirements. This is the big bottleneck. "Getting virus-free material is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Another option is to use thermotherapy and/or in vitro cultures in the laboratory, but so far success rates are very low."
Second stage. Once the variety has been identified and the plant material has been propagated (10 virus-free plants grafted onto R-110), the Spanish Plant Variety Office (OEVV) is asked to include the variety in the Register of Commercial Grape Varieties. To this end, it is included in their collection with trials carried out over a period of five years.
Third and final stage. In order for a variety to be approved in an autonomous community, a study must be carried out - in the case of the Balearic Islands, this is done by the IRFAP - which includes experimental vinifications over a period of five years. Once the authorisation has been published in the official gazette of the region, the vines can be planted.
This does not include subsequent studies and evidence undertaken by PGIs or PDOs to add new varieties to their respective regulations.
*Grape varieties (Vitis Vinifera L.) from the Balearic Islands: genetic characterization and relationship with the Iberian Peninsula and Mediterranean Basin. Authors: Sonia García Muñoz, Thierry Lacombe, M. Teresa de Andrés, Laura Gaforio, Gregorio Muñoz-Organero, Valérie Laucou, Patrice This, Félix Cabello.
