Bodegas José L. Ferrer: family, tradition, and modernity

Binissalem PDO: an age-old tradition in winemaking. Although the Binissalem Protected Designation of Origin was established in 1991, the earliest reports of winemaking in this area of Mallorca, set at the foot of the Serra de Tramontana mountain range, date back to the 1st century BC: Pliny compares Balearic wines with the best of Italy. Viticulture continued throughout the long Muslim rule of Mallorca, remaining active for centuries until it flourished as a result of the Great Wine Blight in France in the mid-19th century. After several decades of rising production and exports, in 1891 the blight finally hit Mallorca as well, and the local wine industry collapsed. The economic impact was disastrous, even causing a wave of emigration at the end of the 19th century. Wineries gradually recovered over the course of the 20th century, primarily offering table wines for the local market. With the introduction of new varieties and modern production techniques close to twenty years ago, production took a new turn, becoming far more diversified and focused on high-quality wines.

 

Bodegas José L. Ferrer in the 21st century. Established in 1931 by the great-grandfather of the clan, José Luis Ferrer Ramonell, the winery has been at the forefront of all these changes in the Mallorcan wine industry. In recent decades, the younger generations in the Ferrer family have been shifting their focus towards a far better informed, more demanding, increasingly international market.

 

This past autumn, bulthaup decided to gather its Mallorcan distributors with a group of customers at the Bodegas Ferrer vineyard. The visit ended with an outdoor meal whose menu, prepared by chef Santi Taura, was paired with the winery’s own labels.

A full range of wines. Bodegas Ferrer currently produces a broad selection of wines (sparkling, white, rosé, red, and sweet) and aims to recover and preserve native varieties.

Veritas Brut Nature 2015. With 90% of Moll, a native Mallorcan variety, and following the traditional Champenoise method, this fine-bubbled sparkling wine is complex, with aromas of white fruit, citrus, herbs, anise, and fennel, and a fresh, supple finish.

Pedra de Binissalem Rosat. Made with a blend of the native variety of Mantonegro and Cabernet Sauvignon, this organic rosé is a bright raspberry pink. Nose-driven with berries, citrus, and ripe pineapple, it has a fresh, balanced attack, with a touch of ripe fruit and a long finish.

Veritas Blanc, Mundus Vini 2016 Gold Medal. This yellow wine with a greenish hue is a blend of Moll and Chardonnay. A fruity nose displays balsamic notes due to its fermentation in oak barrels. With a fresh attack and balanced acidity, Veritas Blanc is sumptuous and soft to the taste.

Tinto Veritas Vinyes Velles 2014. Made with Mantonegro, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Callet from the winery’s oldest vines, this deep red with aromas of wild berries is balanced and intense, with a long finish.

Veritas Dolç 2015. Floral notes prevail in this wine made with small-grain Moscatel grapes. Sweet and fresh, it suggests fruit and honey on the palate.

Firmly rooted in an island where the tourism industry tends to focus on the present, Bodegas José L. Ferrer continues to follow its path, true to tradition but with its eyes set on the future.

Fotógrafo: Adrian Pedrazas Profumo

 

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