Jaume Prats is Mallorquin, and after time learning about wine and winemaking in Catalunya returned to his native Mallorca to work with and recuperate some old vineyard plots of indigenous vines in the island’s interior. These plots are characteristic of the traditional viticultural methods of the island - they are made up of mixed varieties, mostly planted on the island’s red iron-rich clay soils (known as Call Vermell) and some had suffered abandonment. Plots like this are rare: much of the vineyard land in Mallorca was replanted to international varieties in the 1990s, so old vines of Mantonegro and other local varieties are treasures. Now, Jaume is working with more parcels that have a similar character. Inspired by his work with Alella’s Oriol Artigas, he focuses on the direct expression of the places that he works with, fermenting different varieties together, working without oak or sulfur, and producing tiny quantities of parcel-focused wines.
The Wines
Jaumet: 60% Mantonegro, 20% Callet & Fogoneu, and 20% Premsal, Malvasia & Moscatel from a single co-planted vineyard of 50–60-year-old vines planted on red iron-rich calcareous clay soils (locally called “Call Vermell”). The vineyard had been abandoned; Jaume is rehabilitating it. After harvest the grapes macerated with skins and stems for 8 days and was then pressed with a pneumatic press to finish fermentation in stainless steel tanks. It rested in tank for 6 months before bottling without fining, filtering, or sulfur addition.
Met: 90% mixed red grapes (Mantonegro, Fogoneu, Callet), 10% white grapes (Premsal and Moscatel). From a single plot of organically farmed vines near Felantix, planted on calcareous clay soils at 100m elevation. The vines are 50 years old. The grapes were harvested by hand, then fermented with the stems and skins for 5 days in neutral polyethylene vat before pressing to rest on the lees for 6 months in stainless steel tank. Bottled without fining, filtering or sulfur addition and aged an additional 8 months in bottle before release.
Velito: 100% Callet from organically farmed vines in a single parcel near Felantix, planted on iron-rich red clay locally known as Call Vermell. The vines are 10 years old and planted at 190m. The grapes were harvested by hand, then destemmed and macerated on the skins for 5 days then aged for 6 months in plastic tank before bottling without filtering, fining or added sulfur.
Fonoll: 50% Mantonegro (a red grape), 40% Premsal (a white grape) and 10% table grapes from organically farmed vines in a single parcel near Santa Eugènia. The 20-25-year-old vines are planted on chalky clay souls at 207m. The grapes were harvested by hand and macerated whole cluster for 5-10 days then pressed gently with a pneumatic press. Fermented and rested in stainless steel with 6 months on the lees before bottling without fining, filtering, or added sulfur.
