8 Mallorcan wines selected by a Michelin star Sommelier
If you are coming to Mallorca or if you live in Mallorca, and you are interested in Mallorcan wines, we have prepared a list of 8 recommended Mallorcan wines by one of the top sommeliers in the island. We didn’t want to do the “standard” list or a “sponsored” list, we wanted to do a list including wines that are unique and so we have selected wines showing how the island is. We hope you enjoy this list, cheers!
A mallorcan white wine by 7103 Petit Celler
7103 Petit Celler is a small local bodega built by two young Mallorcan men. Sebastia comes from a family dedicated to wine and he is agriculture engineer. Pep is also an engineer and enology student. Both have their ideas very clear, and they produce quality wines, with small productions and the grapes coming from their own vineyard. Their wines are based on the local varieties, Mantonegro (red grape) and Premsal Blanc (white grape). As a curiosity, the name 7103 makes reference to the meters of a “cuarterada” which is a typical surface measurement in Mallorca.
This is a very good start on our Mallorca wine recommended list as it is a very fresh wine, elaborated 100% with a local variety of grapes, from a small wine bodega, very easy to drink and with an attractive label. Tropical fruit, apple and honey aromas, palate, reminding mature pineapple. And it is only 11€.
Son Agullo Mantonegro
What a surprise this wine! Since a few years ago, some “adventurous” wine cellars have decided to go for 100% manto negro red wines, while before they were doing a coupage with foreign varieties such as Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah… Can Verdura wine cellar is one of them. The Mantonegro is the most extended variety of grape in the Binissalem wine area, but until recently it was not taken much into account because its lack of colour and because it was thought it was not a good variety to age.
The grapes come from a 63 years old plot in Pla del Buc close to Santa Maria village. It has been fermented in French oak tank and aging for 13 months in 600 liters French oak barrels, and then stands in the bottle for 3 months. The result is a spectacular wine. It is a very delicate wine, reminds you of a Pinot noir from Bourgogne, fresh with delicate fruit, a gem in Mallorca’s wine panorama. The only negative is the price, about 34€, due to the small quantity produced (800 bottles) and the fact they only get 1600 kilos per acre. It you prefer something on a lower price range, their Supernova is a great option for around 10€ and it is also 100% manto negro.
Giro Blanc Mallorcan wine
Miquel Oliver is a wine cellar from Petra in the inland area of Mallorca that produces a wide variety of wine. Our bet is QBQ, a white wine made with a local variety called Giro Blanc / Giro Ros. The name is an abbreviation of “what a good wine” in our local dialect “que bo que és”. This variety of grape was about to disappear, and then thanks to the efforts of some wine makers from Mallorca it has been recuperated. It creates amazing and unique wines that you can find just here in Mallorca, with a complex body and full of flavor.
This wine has a golden colour, medium aroma intensity and elegant aromas. In the mouth, we find exotic fruits (pineapple, mango…), some citrus and herbs notes and very intense. It is certainly very different, and either this one or another option, we highly recommend to taste a wine with giro blanc. The price is about 25€.
Can Xanet Bodega: Sibila wine
This is a small bodega situated close to Pollensa created in 2010. From the beginning they had the idea very clear, and it was to produce fine and elegant quality wines in small productions and with local grape varieties. From the start, they had the help and direction by Raul Perez, a famous wine maker from Spain. In 2013 due to the high volume of work he has, he had to ask to his friend Dominique Roujou de Bouvee to be in charge. He also produces wines in other areas of Spain, for example in Priorat, Valencia and Galicia.
The wine Sibila is made using the local variety Gargollasa. This type of grape around 10 years ago was nearly disappeared, in fact there are less than 10 hectares on the entire island. It is a delicate wine that reminds us of a pinot noir. It is aged for a year in oak barrels and then a year in bottle, before being released on sale. The price is 32€. Only 1500 bottles are produced per year.
Ses Hereves by Toni Gelabert
Toni Gelabert is a small family celler from Manacor. They started in 1979, and their cellar is situated in the outskirts of Manacor, in the finca Son Fangos. It is made with 3 grape varieties: 33% Cabernet, 33% Merlot y 33% Syrah . It has 14% alcoholo, aged 12 month in French oak barrel and its price is around 23€.
Indiot by 4 Kilos
This wine is elaborated by one of the most renowned wine makers in Mallorca, Francesc Grimalt, in collaboration with the wine shop La Vinoteca. He is the owner and wine maker of 4 Kilos wine celler in Felanitx. The name “Indiot” translated into English means “turkey”, and the label is a drawing of bird feathers.
This wine is 90% callet and 10% mantonegro. The vineyards are situated close to the Binissalem and Manacor. It is a light and fresh wine, with only 12% alcohol that has aged 12 months in 3000 liters capacity barrels and then in stainless steel deposits. The wine is very fresh, aromatic and with herb notes. The price is 15€.
1912 by Miquel Oliver
In 1912 Melchor Oliver started his wine cellar in the small village of Petra. More than 100 years later, the bodega is one of the main producers on the island, and it is run by his great-granddaughter Pilar Oliver. She created this wine to celebrate the 100-year anniversary. The wine costs around 22€, and it is produced with cabernet and merlot. Even though these are not local varieties, we believe this wine should be on this list due to the high quality wines from this bodega and for their hard work on these 100 years promoting the Mallorcan wine.
If you prefer to opt for a more standard wine, we recommend you the white Muscat or the red Montferrutx which is the first wine they bottled. Also AIA and Xperiment are well worth, both created by Pilar.
Colom de Penya by Miquel Gelabert
The Pla and Llevant area wine area produces fabulous wines, and one of the most known producers is Miquel Gelabert. He produces a wide variety of wines, covering everything, from white to red and sweet wines too. This is our most expensive wine recommendation with a price of around 70€. It is his masterpiece by selecting the best grapes from his vineyards and putting 30 years of experience into producing this red wine.
It has 10 different varieties of grapes, some local and some foreign varieties. It is aged 12 months in new French oak barrels and after that, in the bottle. The wine is intense and complex in nose with mature red fruit with spices, mint and a small hint of vanilla from the oak barrels. In the mouth is elegant and with plenty of structure. It will age well, and it matches perfectly with red meat.
Guillermo Lucas
Guillermo Lucas is from Cadiz and since 2012 is been working at Maca de Castro Restaurant in Alcudia, one of the eight restaurants with Michelin star in Mallorca. He has been working in England and Dubai (at Santi Santamaria restaurant) and has a wide knowledge of wine from all over the world. In the wine cellar at Maca de Castro you can find a well-balanced mix of wines with different price ranges and from different regions, including Mallorca, of course.
We would like to thank him for helping us on making this selection and on the process of writing this article.
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