2018 Ànima Negra ÀN Red

Mallorca, Spain

AN is the iconic flagship wine of Anima Negra. Made primarily from indigenous Callet grapes (95%) with a touch of Mantonegre and Fogoneu. All organic fruit. These indigenous grapes are hand-harvested from the oldest vines from many small vineyards in the sub-region of central Mallorca called "Son Negre", which translates as the ‘dark place’ because of the intense sunlight that almost bakes the soil with its intense heat. After fermentation, the wine spends seventeen months of aging in French oak followed by one year in bottle. The wine is not made every year. 

Opaque garnet in color with ruby reflections, this wine offers wonderfully rich and layered aromas of damson fruit, crushed blackberries, leather, violets, smoke and spice. An is as sumptuous on the palate as it is in its bouquet, with mouth-filling texture and concentration of flavors. 

94 points, Decanter. "Deep in flavour, polished in texture, and intensely evocative, Anima Negra’s exceptional cuvée spends 18 months in new French oak, but the character of the old Callet vines shines through. A glimpse of the Med, with flashes of fresh fig and leafy herb, a touch of balsamic and olive, and a flash of red fruit. Long and fine. Organic."

93 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. "There is a clear improvement in the 2018 ÀN; it's still toasty, smoky and oaky, but there is more of the character of the grapes and place coming through. It's a pale and translucent ruby-colored blend of Callet with small percentages of Fogoneu and Mantonegro. Using their own selected yeasts from the Son Negre vineyard, the grapes fermented in 4,000-liter oak vats and concrete tanks. The palate is medium-bodied, ripe without excess and delicate, like the local grapes can be. I wish I could take away the extra layer of wood that is preventing the wine from really shining through, because the wine is definitely there. It matured in French oak barrels for 14 months. Give it some more time to see if the wine is able to absorb some more of the oak."