In an era where everything seems to move too swiftly, there are those who choose to go against the tide. To once again observe the land with tranquility. To listen to it. To reclaim what seemed lost. And yes, to also craft wine from grapes that only a few remembered.
This is the case of esperó de gall, an almost extinct Mallorcan variety, resurrected through the perseverance of a select few—among them, Pep Rodríguez, the driving force behind the Soca-Rel project. Pep is no ordinary winemaker: he is a French-style vigneron, a Mallorcan vinyòvol. He inhabits the vineyard all year round, converses with the vines, the soil, the clouds, and has a crystal-clear vision of the wine he wishes to create. Natural, honest, unembellished. Wines that narrate a story.
And he has succeeded. His latest red, Soca-rel Politxó Negre Esperó de Gall, is, as someone with a discerning palate and keen intuition might say, a marvel of modern viticulture. A single-varietal cultivated organically and harvested by hand. In the winery, a submerged cap fermentation maceration is employed, a technique that allows for a more delicate and controlled extraction of colour and tannins, ideal for this thin-skinned variety. It is then gently pressed and naturally clarified by decantation in stainless steel tanks, without aggressive filtering or unnecessary intervention.
The result is Soca-rel Politxó Negre Esperó de Gall, a pure and genuine wine that evokes the scent of parched fields and living earth. It does not seek to impress, but to touch the soul. It speaks to us of a landscape, of an almost forgotten variety, and of a winemaking philosophy rooted in patience, sensitivity, and authenticity. An exercise in resilience, in honouring memory, and in looking towards the future.