Sue Ray Uncorked

I visited Sandra Adrian at Bodegas Bordoy on 14 September 2015.  Sandra is the host at the Bodega and has worked there for 6 years.  She also works in the vineyard, hosts tastings at local hotels and has hosted some events in Germany.  Bodegas Bordoy exports 15% of its production to Germany and the EU, but the majority is consumed on the island.

The vineyards and winery are located on the outskirts of Llucmajor, a mere 20 minute drive from Palma de Mallorca airport and only 5km from the sea.  For me, it was conveniently located very close to the Hilton Sa Torre Llucmajor where I was staying.

The vineyard was founded in 2000 and sold its first wine in 2004.  The owner is Mallorcan and the winery is a very small arm of a large corporation which produces milk, water and cheese and owns 2 hotels in Mallorca.

The winery is considered a hobby business.  The vineyard area covers around 19 hectares and produces on average 100,000 bottles per annum.  Varietals range from indigenous grapes such as Callet, Premsal Blanc and Giró Ros, to more traditional grapes including Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay.  Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for the largest area under vine.

The soils in the vineyard are deep red and calcareous with about half a metre of topsoil and stones below providing excellent drainage.  Vines are low yielding and produce high quality wines with high alcohol and low acidity.  The Pla I Llevant region, in which the Bodega is located, is the smallest producer of wine per hectare in Mallorca.

I asked Sandra how this year’s harvest was looking.  She told me that whilst they had plenty of sun in June and July (including a number of days when temperatures had exceeded 40C), they have not had sufficient rain.  As such, she expects yields to be down.  Added to that is the fungal disease which appears to be affecting a number of Syrah vines throughout Mallorca. Whilst I was there, they were removing infected vines and plan to head-graft new varietals to the remaining American rootstocks.  The Merlot crop however is looking good this year.

At harvest time, which generally runs from mid-August through to October, grapes are picked, placed into small boxes, sorted and destemmed.  It takes 4 people about 5 hours to process 1300 kg of grapes.  Sandra showed me the pneumatic press with rubber membrane which inflates to press the grapes very gently.  This had been used to press Merlot grapes earlier that day.  She also showed me the fermentation tanks, the smaller ones of which they use for white wines.

The Bodega has 200 x 225 litre barrels and 1 x 500 litre barrel which are replaced every 4-5 years.  Both French and American oak barrels are used and cost EUR600 - EUR800 each. 

The Bodega produces 10 different wines and their label designer is from Soller.  The majority of their wines are named “Sa Rota” from the word for the small stone houses on the island “Sa Roteta”.  “Terra de Marès” is their top wine produced from specially selected grapes which undertake their second fermentation in French oak.  It is only made in exceptional years and produced in very limited quantities.