Viticulture on Mallorca, the Germans' favourite island, has a tradition that goes back many centuries. When phylloxera devastated the vineyards in France at the end of the 19th century, wine from Mallorca was in demand like never before, until phylloxera also brought down viticulture on the beautiful island. It was unable to recover from this heavy blow for decades until the 1990s, when wineries such as Anima Negra brought a new focus on high-quality wines to Mallorca. The winery, which is now regarded as the island's flagship, was founded by two long-time friends, Pere Obrador and Miquel Àngel Cerdá. They had temporarily parted ways for professional reasons, but their love of Mallorca wine brought them back together in 1994. In the same year, the first wines were vinified in former milk tanks. The big breakthrough came in 1997 when renowned international critics discovered the wines and praised them to the skies. The winery near Felanitx in the south-east of the island is located in an old estate dating back to the 13th century, which has had premises for wine production since that time. The vineyards in this corner of Mallorca, which is protected from the cold winds, are mainly planted with the local, indigenous grape varieties Callet, Mantonegro and Fogogneu for red wine, as well as Premsal Blanc and Giró Ros for white wine. Some Syrah is also planted. The grapes are harvested extremely carefully in small 10-kilo crates so that they reach the winery undamaged. The estate's top wine is the "ÀN", a cuvée made from 95% Callet and 4% Mantonegro and Fogneu. "ÀN2" is a remarkable second wine made from 65% Callet, 20% Mantonegro and Fogneu and 15% Syrah. The "Son Negro", a 100% Callet, is only produced in exceptional vintages and the label, which changes every vintage, is redesigned by the painter Miquel Barceló. The only white wine with the name "Quíbia" is an exciting blend of 40% white Callet, 35% Premsal Blanc and 15% Giró Ros. After a rapid rise, Anima Negra is now one of the best wineries in Spain.
