New Wines from Mallorca by Bodegas Vi Rei
New Wines from Mallorca by Bodegas Vi Rei
The Bodegas Vi Rei winery was founded some three years ago due to the the vision of Miguel Pascual, a man born amongst vines and passionate about wine.
He was convinced of the uniqueness of the position and the conditions that occur at the Sa Bassa Plana Estate, situated as it is close to the sea in the region of Llucmajor, on the eastern side of the island of Mallorca. His idea was to plant new vineyards on the estate and revitalise the wine making sector in the area.
Designed by the famous mallorquin architect Rafael Munar, well known for his integration of buildings into their natural environment, the state of the art winery at Bodegas Vi Rei was built with a clear idea in mind: to produce high quality wines by introducing the latest technology into the wine making processes.
The vinification process starts with low extraction presses producing high quality must, which is then transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation at a controlled temperature. This process produces wines rich in aromas and colour. The ageing is done in French and American oak barrels and continued further in the bottle. Finally, the bottling and labelling is done entirely at the winery. All productions are limited and numbered, creating a superb collection of white, rosé and red wines from Mallorca.
The majority of the vineyard was planted in 2012, with local varieties such as Premsal Blanc, Giro Ros, Mantonegro and Callet, combined with well known international varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, over an area of some eighty five hectares.
The region’s climate is typically Mediterranean, with temperatures averaging around seventeen degrees centigrade. Mild winters and hot and dry summers, provide optimum growing conditions for grapes, providing a very typical “terroir” character. The proximity of the sea is also a very significant element of the microclimate found close to Llucmajor. Rainfall averages around four hundred and twenty five millimetres per year, whilst the sun shines for more than seven hours per day. The local soil is a mixture of limestone and clay with red tones and a slightly alkaline acidity level. These particular characteristics allow for good drainage and easy growing of roots, providing ideal conditions for vine growing.
The many existing Talaiots found in the vicinity of the town of Llucmajor indicate that this was one of the first inhabited regions of the island of Mallorca and it was also here that the Romans planted their first vineyards on the island. Pliny the Elder, in his book “Historia Natural”, wrote that “the wines of the Balearic Islands were amongst the best wines of the Roman Empire”.
To discover these new wines from Mallorca, visit the Bodegas Vi Rei vineyards and winery, which are open daily from 10.00 – 18.00, to taste their lovely selection of white, rosé and red wines for yourself. Whilst there check out their unique winery tours, exquisite wine tastings and exclusive activities.
For more information check out their website at: www.bodegasvirei.com
