Red Wines, Autumn Vines; The José L Ferrer Bodega

If Mallorca had been lacking the rich tones of autumn when I shared the last glimpses of green a few weeks ago, those colours were in no way lacking on my recent visit to the José L Ferrer vineyard and wine cellars. There, vine leaves had turned blood-red burgundy and an earthy shade of umber while among them voluptuous ripe grapes hung in thirsty wait for their conversion into wine. Meanwhile, the ground glowed an equally striking shade of russet red, while above and around, amongst the stunning surroundings of the Tramuntana mountains, thin horizontal strata of clouds seemed to echo the mountain range, extending the rocky folds into the sky.

Founded in 1931, the José L. Ferrer vineyards and bodega were founded by its namesake, and the bodega’s distinctive orange-labelled red vintage has become an icon of Mallorcan wines. But beyond the standard red, the 98 hectares of red Manto Negro, Callet and white Moll vines produce an impressive array of different wines which exhibit all of the earthy character of the mountainous landscape and the exquisite aroma of the Mediterranean.

And of course I speak from experience, as beyond exploring the beautiful landscape full of ripe and recently-harvested vines, the highlight of the day had to be wine tasting itself… I mean you know you’re onto a good thing when a row of 5 gleaming wines are laid out before you, along with a large platter of local cheese and a creamy intense olive oil produced from the same land. Amongst those we tried, my favourite had to be the Veritas Roig, a fresh and perfectly balanced pale rosé loaded with the aromas of rose petals, white fruits and citrus. A veritable burst of summer in a season now fully metamorphosing into autumn.

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