A man who loves to experimentThe winemaker Miquel Gelabert Fullana from Manacor is winning awards like no other in Mallorca. In the last five years he has been awarded more than thirty prizes at international wine fairs, not including awards from wine magazines or the German gourmet magazine "Der Feinschmecker." Everything started in 2001 at the Salón Internacional del Vino in Madrid, when Miquel Gelabert presented his wines for the first time causing a sensation. His Chardonnay, vintage 1999, was declared the best white wine of the entire event. About the award, Gelabert was uncharacteristically reticent: "This opened a lot of doors for us." was his only comment.
Miquel Gelabert, with brother Toni, planted his first vines in the mid eighties. Later on the two brothers split up and Miquel, a trained chef, earned his living with a successful restaurant in Cala Millor. He continued growing wine in his spare time. In the year 2000 however, he decided to give up the restaurant to concentrate solely on wine making. Today Miquel Gelabert is unstoppable.
He cultivates 35 vine varieties, the largest selection on the island. Among the reds are Fogoneu, Gorgollasa, Giró Negre, Garnacha and Caladoc. Some white varieties are Jaumillo, Giró Blanc and even Viognier. To Gelabert it does not matter that some varieties are not accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture.
"Some people say I'm crazy, but I don't care. All artists who find new ways are a bit crazy." Does he consider himself to be an artist? No! He sees himself as a researcher who has to try out everything. Nevertheless he also grows the classic grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Chardonnay.
Mallorquins come to Gelabert for advice on the preservation of some almost forgotten varieties of very old vines they have on their land, such as Jaumillo or Giro Negre. In moments like this Gelabert is in his element. He is especially keen on 50, 60 year old plants with a very small crop but high quality. He also experiments with foreign grapes: The 46 year-old was the first on the island to grow the exclusive Riesling variety, and when it comes to wine he is very restless. Traveling to Spain, France, Italy and Portugal he brought back Riesling from a trip to Germany.
Of some wines he produces a mere barrelful. Of other grape varieties he may only grow 100 plants. He would let a Chardonnay mature in three different barrels; one from France, one from the USA and one from the Caucasus. A man who loves to play with flavours, Gelabert believes a wine needs character to represent a Bodega. For him, a wine should surprise and leave a sustainable impression.
Miquel Gelabert is self-taught; he likes to make his own decisions and works independently and without the help of an Enologist. Abstaining from machines and working manually whenever possible, he considers himself the antithesis of modern agriculture.
Depending on the harvest, Miguel Gelabert produces between 30,000 and 35,000 bottles a year. He doesn't buy any additional grapes and from the nine hectares he cultivates seven are his own and two of them leased. The Bodega "Vins Miquel Gelabert" offers reds, whites and roses all of them carrying the denomination of origin "Pla i Llevant."
On the question of which grape is going to make it big in the next few years he suggests the Gorgollassa vine, but recommends to wait for a few years.