Born into a family of Mallorcan winemakers in the centre of the island, Tomeu Llabrés is an agricultural engineer who studied oenology in Tarragona before training with Álvaro Palacios in Priorat. In Mallorca he worked with Francesc Grimalt (4 Kilos, Felanitx) and at Ava Vi winery.

His venture was born out of a desire to show the quality and potential of local grape varieties. In 2010 he used grapes from his grandfather's vineyard to make a Manto Negro, and two years later he launched Ca'n Verdura, a garage winery in the centre of Binissalem.

But his favourite growing area is Santa María del Camí, a village halfway between Binissalem and Palma de Mallorca. Both for the abundance of old vines and the crisp, fruity character of the distinctive reddish soils known as call vermell". These soils are older and deeper than the gravel lands around Binissalem, with more silt and sand than the call vermell of Felanitx, further east.

Another strength of Manto Negro is its greater genetic diversity, which gives the wine more nuances. Llabrés sees Manto Negro as a rustic variety with a hard skin that is resistant to botrytis. He questions the misconception that it is a powerful, heavy grape, a fact that he believes has more to do with blends with Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, he compares it to Garnacha for its depth and drinkability.

Apart from a small plot of family land planted with recovered varieties, Llabrés works mainly with rented vineyards (20 hectares) or buys grapes from local growers (mainly white Prensal and Manto Negro). All the vineyards are organic or in the process of conversion. The area around Santa María del Camí is dominated by micro-plots of between 3,000 and 7,000m2 cultivated by local farmers. Some, like Miquel, refuse to trellis their vines in order to preserve the goblet-trained system he has always seen at home. Easier to handle are the 3.5 ha of Manto Negro rented in Son Seguí, a 300-hectare estate, mostly under forest, owned by a Swiss banker, also in the village of Santa Maria. Some of the vines are very old, with yields of less than 1,000 kg/ha, resulting in wines with high alcohol; the rest is made up of 50-year-old vines that reach 3,000 kg/ha.

The range starts with a well-balanced, pleasant, spicy rather than fruity red, named after the winery. Ca'n Verdura (30,000 bottles, €12) is a blend of 50% Manto Negro, mainly from Binissalem, including young trellised vines and old vines planted on gravel, and 50% Syrah, Merlot, Monastrell, Callet and Cabernet Sauvignon. Half of the wine is aged in 500-litre barrels and half in stainless steel tanks. Supernova is the brand for single-varietal wines, retailing at around €14 in Spain. It includes a white made from Moll (or Prensal Blanc) and a rosé and a red, both made from Manto Negro. The red (19,000 bottles), although not powerful, has a certain depth and notes of mint and orange peel, and comes from vines between 30 and 50 years old, as well as grapes from Son Seguí. It is aged in foudre, wooden vats and 500-litre barrels.

Tomeu Llabrés has consistently explored the potential of Manto Negro. Ca'n Xicatlá is a blanc de noirs made from a specific clone, known locally as Cabellis, which does not reach full veraison, thus combining white, pink and green berries in the same cluster. The grapes come from a gravelly plot in Binissalem with call vermell soils. The aromas of stone fruit are followed by a rich palate with a slightly saline finish - it doesn't carry the Binissalem DO seal. This is not the case with Son Agulló (1,500 bottles, €34), an interesting, refined version of the variety from one of Tomeu's favourite vineyards in Santa María del Camí.

There is another single-vineyard white from the same village. Ca Ses Rosetes (3,000 bottles, €20, out of DO) is made from Giró Ros addin a salty touch to the variety's distinctive full-bodied character.

Finally, Vins Oblidats is an experimental range sold outside the DO, focusing on recovered grape varieties such as Escursac (1,200 bottles) and specific winemaking techniques, such as an orange Giró Ros (only 500 bottles) with over 10 days of skin contact. Escursac is a favourite of Llabrés because of its resistance to disease. "Apart from some minor problems with flowering, it requires little treatment, has good yields, a low pH and an acceptable alcohol content," he says.

Unlike other producers who sell almost all their production in Mallorca, Ca'n Verdura exports 30% (the USA is its biggest international market) and ships another 30% to mainland Spain.