4 minute read
Es Verger
The Mallorcan wines
ES VERGER
If there is an island where you would
want a decent wine-storage space in your home, it is Mallorca. The past decade has seen considerable growth in the number of wineries – many producing high-quality wines to rival those of other European countries.
Wine has been made in Mallorca since Roman times, but the number of vineyards spread rapidly in the 19th century, when vines in countries including France, Italy, Portugal, and Germany were destroyed by the tiny insect phylloxera. Unaffected by the pest, Mallorca became wine supplier to the blighted countries. In 1891, phylloxera arrived here, devastating the industry. Vines were ripped out and replaced by almond trees, famous here for their beautiful blossom.
Vines and winemaking returned gradually over the decades, but tourism helped build today’s thriving industry: international visitors wanted local wines. In the 1990s, winemakers stepped up their game – planting foreign varieties of grapevines and investing in stainless-steel tanks and oak barrels.
Mallorca’s wine industry has since
been on an upward trajectory. Today the island has more than ninety bodegas. The oldest was founded in 1711 and is still in the same family. Wealthy foreigners – including the Schwarzkopf family, of hair-cosmetics fame – have recently invested in architect-designed state-of-the-art wineries.
The purchaser of E5 Living’s Villa San Lorenzo will have the perfect excuse to explore Mallorca’s many wineries: a stunning glass and wrought iron, made-to-measure, LED-lit wine-storage facility. E5 Living has commissioned a generous supply of exclusive-label wines, from the boutique bodega Es Verger, for each of its Old Town homes. The Fullana family winery nestles in the stunning Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, near Esporles, and is run by Miguel, his daughter Rosa, and son Jaime.
Less than thirty years after phylloxera arrived, Miguel’s grandfather planted vines in the winemaking area Santa Maria. Miguel and his family still tend these century-old vines. The four hectares produce low-yield high-quality native Manto Negro grapes, for Es Verger’s multi-award-winning varietal red, Ses Marjades. In 1995, the family planted three additional hectares, 450 metres above sea level, producing Merlot, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier grapes.
“It’s complicated in the mountains,” Rosa says, citing the disadvantage of working in narrowterraced vineyards. “But air is purer,” Miguel counters. “And the temperature’s always a beneficial five degrees lower than in the middle of Mallorca.” These climatic conditions enable Es Verger to produce their luscious sweet Fita del Ram white wine, using Viognier grapes from the highest vines.
Es Verger was one of Mallorca’s first ecological wineries. Rose bushes
growing amongst the vines are not aesthetic: “Roses detect disease before vines, giving us an opportunity to treat the vines before they become affected,” Miguel explains. The permitted ecological vine treatments they use are neem oil, copper, and small quantities of sulphur. “The start of the season is the most
difficult time, when the vine shoots are very tender, and the leaves are fragile.” By early July, treatment is only to control any problems. For the past ten to twelve years, the grapes have been “of very good quality.”
Es Verger makes six wines, with a
limited total annual production of around 15,000 bottles, under the geographical indication ‘Vi de la terra Mallorca’. “We prefer to produce smaller quantities because this maintains quality,” Miguel says. Although production is too small for Asian and American markets, they export to Europe – mainly Germany and Switzerland – and have distributors in Holland, Denmark, and Switzerland.
You can buy their wines at the bodega or from Mallorca’s quality-wine merchants Vinàmica, La Vinoteca, and Catavinos, who also supply the hospitality sector. Es Verger wines are offered in good restaurants, including the Michelinstarred Es Racó d’es Teix in Deià, Tomeu Caldentey Cuiner in Sa Coma, and Molí des Torrent in Santa Maria. The family showcases their wines at the annual Fira del Vi in Pollensa, Palma’s springtime Nit de Vi de Petits Cellers, and the Esporles sweet fair, Fira Dolça. Internationally, they exhibit at ecological fairs Biofach (Nuremberg) and Millésime Bio (Montpellier).
The winery has a decent collection of awards for various Ses Marjades vintages – including several gold medals in the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and silver in the Mundus Vini Biofach – and an award for its sweet wine.
But there’s more: Es Verger was the first winery in Mallorca to make organic extra virgin olive oil using its own modern olive press and the coldextraction process. It’s a blend of Arbequina, Picual, and Mallorquina varieties. Es Verger EVOO has the prestigious Denomination of Origin ‘Oli de Mallorca’ and received a coveted German ‘Feinschmecker’ award. In a good year, they produce up to six thousand bottles of this liquid gold.
The best way to discover and
appreciate Es Verger’s family values and passion for quality, rather than quantity, is to visit the bodega (by prior appointment). A tour of the spectacularly located vineyards and winery and tasting of their products is sure to reveal why E5 Living commissioned Es Verger to produce the exclusive-label red, white, and rosé wines that will be found in each of E5 Living’s Palma Old Town homes.
