Very recently we were invited to present a series of tutored tastings at the inaugural CCA Andratx Wine Fair.  So this month, we look at some of the bodegas that we featured

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Bodegas Angel, Santa Maria del Cami

– located in the heart of Mallorca’s main wine region, the bodega is built in traditional stone style with large windows to show the beautiful views. The winery is surrounded by the vineyards & natural beauty of Mallorca’s “Sierra Norte” mountain range.

 

Bodegas Angel wines have their own character due to its location.  There are specific characteristics due to the proximity to the sea, whilst the terrain of red clay “Call Vermell” is rich in iron oxide; and a natural barrier is created from the north wind.  Whilst also having foreign grape varieties planted, Prensal Blanc and Mantonegro are the local kings.

 

Angel was founded by Andres Gelabert in 2006.  Andres is Mallorcan by birth but spent his formative years in the USA.  There his passion for winemaking began. On returning to his native Mallorca, in the year 2000, he sought to find the ideal location to eventually create Angel.

 

 

Galmés i Ribot, Santa Margalida

– Although over the course of the twentieth century many bodegas in Santa Margalida closed down one after another, the municipality is situated in an area of immense wine and grape-growing tradition. It is even documented that in the seventeenth century Ramon Safortesa Fuster, the famous Comte Mal, rented out part of his land to his knights to plant vineyards and subsequently produce wine. This terrain, known as Rotes dels Cavallers, at present belongs to the Ribot-Galmés family who, after having grown dessert grapes for three generations, in 1997 decided to totally reconvert the land back to the production of red and white wines of superlative quality.

 

The vineyard comprises 14ha belonging to the family itself, where several varieties of grape are grown including Prensal Blanc, Giró Blanc, Moscatel, Chardonnay, Callet, Fogoneu, Gorgollassa, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah, along with Escursac & many other experimental varieties.

 

 

Finca Son Bordils, Inca

– The winery Son Bordils is on the top of a hill in the centre of Mallorca surrounded by the spectacular 34ha of estate vineyards.  Son Bordils was founded by Dn. Joan Bordils i Pont on 18 January 1433 following the acquisition of the farmhouse ‘dels Febrers’ and other lands and grouping them with land acquired by his father, Dn Bordils Bernat, in the 1360’s; some of them already occupied by vineyards at the time of purchase.  It is known that the mid-fifteenth century Finca Son Bordils was already dedicated to winemaking because during the forana revolta (1450-1452) the estate was sacked yielding a bounty of about 50,000 litres.  In 1860 Son Bordils was one of the three major wine producers in the municipality.

 

 

Bodega Biniagual

– The Biniagual Winery is a family run business dedicated to wine production on land used traditionally for the same purpose. Located in the heart of the wine producing region of Binissalem, the small village of Biniagual was known for its wine production for many years until the phylloxera plague destroyed most of the vines in Mallorca at the beginning of the 20th Century.

 

The Biniagual Winery is part of the small village of Biniagual which consists of 14 houses and a chapel, as well as extensive farmland.  It is a self-sufficient estate which is perfectly integrated into Mallorca’s marvellous rural surroundings.  In 1999 the Biniagual Winery reinitiated its wine tradition and replanted its first vines; the estate started producing its own wine once again in 2002.

The Biniagual llogaret (hamlet) experienced its most prosperous times at the beginning of the 17th Century.  Its inhabitants went back to living off the land, breeding sheep and pigs as well as farming grapes and olives. As a consequence of its financial prosperity and its increasing number of inhabitants, twelve houses were built between 1840 and 1850, and the existing houses were extended and refurbished.  At the beginning of the 18th Century, olive farming gave way to further vineyards and the estate began farming grapes almost exclusively. At the beginning of the 20th Century, luck turned against Biniagual and all its vines were destroyed by the phylloxera plague. The inhabitants slowly started moving away until the llogaret was completely abandoned and by the mid 20th century Biniagual was practically in ruins.

 

 

Antonio Nadal Bodegas & Viñedos, Binissalem

– a family winery founded by Antonio Nadal Ros, a pharmaceutical analyst by profession.  After buying the land of Son Roig in 1960 he began making wines in 1968 and in 1989 it became part of the DO.

 

His vision and his efforts helped to improve day by day the infrastructure and equipment of the winery adapting it to new technologies allowing progressively increase the production capacity of the hold up to 100,000 litres per year. From 2000 until 2012 his daughter Magdalena Nadal Estela managed the winery following the techniques of her father; then 2012 the third generational change saw Germán Alberti Nadal, grandson of the founder take control of the winery.

 

 

Bodegas Bordoy, Llucmajor

– History tells us of the existence of Sa Torre from around 1369, by which time it was already known within the island for its unique gothic style chapel, in the area between Llucmajor and Cap Blanc.  Today the chapel continues to bless the vineyards of Bodegas Bordoy.  Founded by Miguel Sastre Bordoy who, after acquiring in 1993 parcels of Sa Vinya Els Camps and S’Aljub Vermell, set about restoring the centuries old vines back to their former glory.

 

In the words of winemaker Sergio Navarro “the climate of this area has its peculiarities; we are in the most arid part of the island, with a very low rainfall and intense sunlight that benefits the vines with lower yields but higher quality. The soil is also different, has a sandy loam structure, which makes it is very well drained, besides providing a low fertility, limiting the effect of the plant, resulting in quality.  The sub-surface composition gives our wines a mineral character”.

 

 

The CCA Andratx event is scheduled to be held annually with an expanded show already planned in 2015 – so log on to their facebook page for their regular updates or contact iben@ccandratx.com for information.

 

All the bodegas featured can be visited with us as stand-alone visits or part of one of our Wine / Wine & Gastronomy Tours – please contact us at enquiries@wine-educators.com

 

 

 

Martin Ward

WINE EDUCATORS INTERNATIONAL / DINING WITH STYLE

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