Gallinas y Focas 2022

Gallinas y Focas is an organic red from VT Mallorca, made by the Mallorcan winery 4 Kilos in partnership with the Amadip Esmente association, whose members named the wine. It is built on Manto Negro, the leading native red grape of Mallorca, an island variety prized for its perfume and freshness rather than weight. The Balearic climate is warm and Mediterranean, tempered by sea breezes, and the local soils and organic farming give a wine of bright fruit and aromatic herbal character. Manto Negro is naturally pale and moderate in tannin, so it tends toward red fruit, florality and a savoury, garrigue edge rather than dark density. Ageing for 18 months in oak barrels rounds the structure through gentle oxygen exchange and adds a little spice and grip while keeping the fruit fresh and the wine medium bodied. The colour is medium ruby, with a nose of red cherry, raspberry, dried herbs and a peppery, earthy lift. The palate is medium bodied at 14 percent, fresh and supple, with fine tannin and a savoury, herb-tinged finish. Serve at 15 to 17 degrees, lightly cool. It suits lamb, roast vegetables and Mediterranean cooking.