INSIDER'S PICK: 2013 ANIMA NEGRA AN/2 VIN DE LA TERRA MALLORCA

Mallorca is the main island of the Balearics, a cluster off the coast of Valencia with strong Catalonian influence. It is best known as a tourist getaway featuring quaint old towns, plenty of beaches, and one of the great under-the-radar seafood destination in the Mediterranean. Wine has existed here since the 1700s; in fact a sizable portion of early Californian wine history stems from the Franciscan monks in Mallorca bringing vines with them during their earliest pilgrimages. But it never really kept pace with the more famous regions on the mainland. The prosperity and growth that Spain's vineyards saw during the late 1900s and early 2000s extended to Mallorca (as well as the Canary Islands), bringing investments in modern techniques and equipment, and sorting out the best of the local varieties to bring the local character to the international stage. Anima Negra was founded at the early stages of this quality explosion, started modestly by a group of friends re-purposing milk tanks into fermenters, but now are at the forefront of Mallorcan wines.
This wine features a mix of the traditional and the modern. blending the two most noted local varieties Callet and Mantonegre-Fogoneu with the more familiar Syrah. A deep ruby color but not thick and opaque-looking, the native varieties are all over the aroma with wild raspberry and black fruits as well as warm sunny spices. The palate is fairly juicy with lots of savory tones in with the fruit and a very polished silky texture similar to a youthful but serious Pinot Noir. This is definitely not one of the more heavily oaked and fruit forward wines that has become more common in Spain in recent years, as the Mallorcan grapes have a unique character that plays out all the way through the earthy, somewhat gamey finish. A great food wine that works with spiced and flavorful red meat dishes.

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