2023 Oliver Moragues Mallorca - Giro Ros

Mallorca, east of Valencia, is the largest of the Balearic Islands and home to distinctive, indigenous red and white wine grapes. The island has endured a 2000-year vinous roller coaster ride, from Roman conquest to Moorish rule to Christian Reconquest to pre-phylloxera boom followed by post-phylloxera bust to mid-century tourism boom (= cheap tourist wine). The modern quality renaissance began in the 1990s, and Mallorca is now a wine region to be reckoned with.

Fifteen generations of the Oliver Moragues family have owned their estate since 1511; farming is certified organic. Their focus is on Mallorca’s autochthonous varieties, perhaps the most rare and interesting of which is giró ros, rescued from extinction in the 1990s. This is the first one that we’ve tasted. The wine fermented for six weeks in 400-liter new French oak barrels and then aged for four months in stainless steel tanks. It offers a kaleidoscopic combination of richness and acidity; structure, power, and freshness; saltiness and texture; complexity and drinkability. As importer-distributor Robert Morrison noted, it drinks like “a cross between an island wine and white Burgundy". Drink it with grilled fish, paella, or Mahón-Menorca cheese from Mallorca’s neighboring island.