Free shipping and a free corkscrew for first orders over €69 with the code WELCOME

Contact
Wine blog
Don't miss our articles on the world of wine. Wineries, production types, wine regions, pairings, interviews with the top professionals in the winemaking world and all the latest wine news.

Harvest at 4 Kilos

21/11/2017 Wineries

4-kilos

This year, we have spent some days harvesting with the team of 4 Kilos in Felanitx, Mallorca. Our aim was to help them however we could in these hectic days. Days of hard work, but also of emotion and happiness; of touching and feeling; of personally experimenting how the must is turned into wine; of smelling the sweet aromas of the must and the aniseed notes of the Callet variety when it is undergoing transformation. A true feast for the senses.

4 Kilos is one of the reference wineries in Mallorca. It was founded in 2006 by Francesc Grimalt and Sergi Caballero. Francesc has created Ánima Negra and along with Sergi, they decided to explore new horizons with the island’s wines. Since then, Grimalt is in charge of the production process (he has the experience of 25 harvests) and Sergi, of the communication process.

Together they built the foundations of the winery, both physically and in the sense of winemaking. The base of the pyramid would be 12 Volts; their reference wine, 4 Kilos; and the tip of the pyramid, Grimalt Caballero (2012). The way they reflect all the creativity is through experimental wines called Motores, which they produce each year. People and a territory that has yet to find its limit.

Their evolution throughout this trajectory has focused on native varieties planted on Call Vermell (the best soils you can find in Mallorca for vine cultivation). They have also focused on reflecting, as faithfully as possible, their characteristics, adapting maceration and ageing processes.

12 Volts: it is made with grapes from different vineyards. Its base character has always been classic: Cabernet, Syrah, Callet and Fogoneu from different terroirs, perfectly assembled by Francesc. Over the years, they have searched for the most drinkable and fruity side, producing this wine partly with carbonic macerations.

4 kilos: the wine that has evolved the most since it was created. In the 2006 harvest, it was almost entirely made with Cabernet Sauvignon. Now, it is 100% Callet.

Grimalt Caballero: it comes from two very old vines planted on “Call Vermell”, made with Callet and some low-yield Fogoneu. Once of the outstanding wines of Mallorca. Subtleness and depth that result in a fine wine with class.

4-kilos-5

Let’s return to the harvest. Days are normally long and hard. There is a constant coming and going of grapes: selection, machinery, racking, and cleaning, a lot of cleaning. The design of the winery is very functional, since they can change how the grapes enter it according to the needs. The vats are filled progressively. At the same time, they carry out the pump overs so that the yeasts have the air they need to reproduce and turn the sugar into alcohol.

In the meanwhile, the musts are tasted, and a continuous monitoring process takes place to make sure that everything is on track. By varieties, by plots, by areas. A wide palette of colours opens up so that Xesc can express his know-how and create the wines he has in mind. The winery fills with variables that he must know how to interpret, envisioning the future: how many days for the maceration, with what other plot can it be combined, in which deposits will the wine age, etc. These are just some examples of the questions that arise on a harvest day.

Now that we are familiar with the context, I will tell you about one of the secrets of these two geniuses: The team! Their talent is more than proven, but the human team behind the project makes their wines shine even more. The atmosphere they have created makes it like a family, and hard days always end with a smile.

Xesc’s brother, Mitos, is in charge of the vines. The right-hand man at the winery is Eloi Cedó, another great oenologist. Eloi has travelled the world, but since a few years back he lives in Felanitx. Apart from working at 4 Kilos, Eloi also has his personal project, the winery Sistema Vinari and the wine Chateau Paquita. Mónica is in charge of the paperwork, Julía and Pere solve all the electrical and mechanical problems, and Toni performs the analyses and brings order to the winery. A BRILLIANT TEAM!

Visiting 4 Kilos is a breath of fresh air. Tasting some wine, having a chat, and seeing the family they have created, is always a great pleasure. Each one of these good experiences are bottled in their different wines. DON’T MISS OUT ON THEM!