As I will be over in Miami around the time that you will be reading this, I thought a mention of a couple of the Mallorquin bodegas that we haven’t yet written about and that are now being imported into and promoted there would be appropriate. So, I am looking forward to seeing the reaction of the restaurants and their guests to some of these during my trip.
Guided by a garage wine mindset, Francesc Grimalt and Sergio Caballero launched 4 Kilos in 2006 with a modest investment of four million Spanish pesetas (the origin of the name) on a converted sheep farm. In 2009, Guia Peñin which is Spain’s most famous and comprehensive wine guide, named 4 Kilos as its Winery of the Year. Today, their wines have achieved a cult-like status in Spain, with similar growth following in other parts of the world. Grimalt, a highly regarded oenologist and former partner of the Anima Negra winery here, is known for rescuing the variety of the native grape Callet in the Balearic wine scene. Caballero is a musician and founding partner and co-director of the Sónar International Festival of Advanced Music and New Media Art (now in its 20th year), and is responsible for the branding and communications aspects of the winery.
4 Kilos is dedicated to producing wines that reflect the strength of the grape and its nuances but with a unique approach and more modern presentation. True to their origins, the winery’s concept is based on sustainable viticulture, respect for the environment, and giving back to the community. In many vineyards, native vegetation cover is used to obtain more concentrated grapes, better ground porosity, and increased microbial population. The vineyards are located in different parts of Mallorca, the reason that they do not belong to any particular DO. The varietals are planted mostly in soils ‘Cal Vermell’, the local name to describe the clay soil. The varieties that are grown are Callet of course plus Cabernet Sauvignon, Fogoneu, Merlot, Monastrell and Syrah.
Amongst their wines is the wonderfully named Gallinas & Focas (Hens & Seals), being the result of a brainstorm of ideas by members of amadip.esment. When the members were asked why they chose such a unique name the reply was clear: hens are funny and seals clap. At the same time members were asked to come up with illustrative drawings of hens and seals which would from that point forward serve to illustrate the wine label. The result: a vital revenue stream for the community organization
Founded only in 2011 Terra de Falanis is a new winemaking project with the vinification overseen by Pere Obrador and Miguelàngel Cerdà also from the Anima Negra winery whose wines have gained both national and international acclaim. The concept is to produce great value wines based on indigenous varieties with maximum respect for nature while showing a balance between current know-how and tradition.
Terra de Falanis (“Land of Falanis”) was the name used by the local historian, author, and artist Miquel Barceló in the title of a 1995 book to describe the town and people before modern-day Felanitx (a village on the east coast in the heart of the DO Pla i Llevant) existed as such. This fostered a feeling of nostalgic sentimentalism and the desire among the accomplished Anima Negra winemakers to promote the essence and unguilded simplicity of days gone by.
Terra de Falanis aims to be the result of the continuous education the winemakers have acquired through other projects and from the mentorship of other winemakers. It is a way to extend the concepts and techniques they have learned in other regions and apply them beyond their natural borders of the island for example by discovering the possibilities of the DO Montsant region of the peninsula.
As proof of their desire to promote a sense of simplicity and playfulness, Terra de Falanis named their first two wines Muac! and Plic Plic Plic, based on the onomatopoetic words for the sound of a kiss and the drone produced by the gentle rain when falling on an umbrella.
Martin Ward
WINE EDUCATORS INTERNATIONAL / DINING WITH STYLE
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