Mallorca, the final installment

Back home from Mallorca tonight after a brilliant ending to the holiday, spending two nights and three days in the wonderful C'an Calco hotel in Moscari. We even managed some winery visits, popping over to Macia Batle and Jose L. Ferrer.

The former was a really impressive operation with a very modern winery and some good wines: we showed up and were offered a self-guided tour of the winery and then a free tasting of anything we were interested in. The second also impressed with its wines, although doing a proper tasting wasn't so straightforward.

The only way they seemed to work was for visitors to buy a glass of each wine for E1.50 or E2.50 for the more expensive ones. They didn't seem to cater for the possibility of someone just wanting to taste a small measure of each. In the end, I persuaded them to let me on the promise that I actually buy something. It was encouraging that both wineries seem to be making some really good wines.

A good wine from Mallorca

My first wine from the holiday isle of Mallorca (which we, as kids, used to pronounce Majorca with the 'j'). For a ripe, warm climate wine weighing in at 14.5%, this is pretty good. And, all being well, I should be in Mallorca by the time you read this for a short break with the family.

Macia Batle Crianza 2005 Binnisalem, Mallorca, Spain
Sweet, seductive ripe fruity nose with some savoury, spicy, tarry notes. Quite sophisticated in a warm, ripe style. The palate is sweetly fruited but has bold, earthy, spicy notes, too. Nicely savoury, finishing long and earthy. A complex wine that should evolve nicely for the next three years or so. 90/100 (£10.99 Noel Young, The Vineyard Dorking, Thomas Panton, Corks of Cotham)