4 Kilos ‘Motor America’

Region: Mallorca < Spain
Grapes: French Fogoneu, Callet
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: organic, farming, ‘Call Vermell’ soils – the local name for the typical reddish, iron-rich and porous soils. Destemmed, food trodden, fermented and aged in clay vats, 50-year-old vines; bottled unfined/unfiltered with no added SO2; 11% ABV
Winemaker: Francesc Grimalt

Francesc is a Mallorcan winemaker known for working with native grape varieties. His partner Sergio Caballero is a musician and director of the Sonar music festival. Together they started 4 Kilos in 2006, garagiste-style, vinifying their first vintage in milk refrigeration units on a sheep farm (Mallorca has lots of these). By the next year they were able to ‘upgrade’ another old sheep farm into a winery to make their line-up of 3 wines, all from indigenous varieties grown organically by small farmers. The carbonic, no-added-sulfur Motor America, named in tribute to Francesc’s father who worked in the auto industry, is straight-up juicy raspberry punch that demands to be drunk. It’s a rare red wine that is satisfying as an aperitif but totally works with a range of food. Pop a bottle while you’re cooking, then another with your lentil salad or smoked duck – at only 11% alcohol and NO added sulfur, it won’t make you feel like a troll the next morning.