In a quiet business section of Selva, we were warmly met by Carlos Rodríguez Furthmann – the owner, viticulturalist and winemaker of Selva Vins – and his collaborative wife Barbara. Unusually, we had made an appointment in advance to make sure they had time for us, because we knew we had a lot of questions about their unique, ‘natural wines!’
Straight to Mallorca Wine Trail education, here is the definition of ‘natural wine’ as we understand it: In certified natural wines, absolutely nothing is added to the natural process of making wine from juiced grapes. That means no added yeasts or sugars, single fermentation, no enzymes, acidity boosts or sulfites. Now, more importantly, letus tell you that with a twinkle in his eye Carlos quickly told us “I make my wines my way,” and he does not call himself a natural wine maker, even though he is meeting virtually all the requirements intrinsically!
Selva Vins is a young and small winery producing 15-17 thousand bottles a year and looking at 20 thousand as their upper limit. Starting in 2016, Carlos began making wines in a small licensed Celler in Selva belonging to friends, which he and Barbara rented for 5 years. That first year they produced five 100% single grape varietal wines (aka monovarietals), from Gorgollasa, Merlot, Malvasia, Tempranillo and Callet. Carlos is all about exploring and showcasing each grape’s unique characteristics, and the nuances expressed as they change yearly due to climate and terroir – and so he almost exclusively makes monovarietal wines. 2021 was the 1st vintage created in this current production location, and we enjoyed learning about them!
Carlos told us he carefully selects organically grown grapes and adds no commercial or additional yeast. His wines are not clarified or filtered and he adds no additives for acidity. Selva Vins wines have one natural and spontaneous fermentation (from the natural yeasts on the grape skins), and at the end Carlos generally does add a small amount of sulfites to support bottle stability. He adds 20-30 grams, whereas the regulation for standard wine is around 200g for whites, and 180g for reds. Wine Trail learning note: Sulfates are used because they are antibacterial and anti-oxidizing (bacteria and oxidation being the major reasons a wine goes off).
Carlos and Barbara purchase all their organic grapes from friends and associates, but Carlos is planting and grafting his own in a small plot they purchased in Estellencs, for future vintages. Four to five years from now they will use their own grapes. They will be organic, but he will not be going for the eco certification. He buys only certified organic grapes, but he doesn’t use that certification for his wines because of the bureaucracy. He wants his wine his way, and not to be tied to any norms or restrictions.
We learned that Spain, France and Italy have multiple ‘natural wine’ certifications and associations, some allow a low level of sulfates, and others allow nothing. But, Selva Vins remain uncertified, by choice. Carlos went on to explain that he is also not part of any Denomination of Origin, wine associations or certifications except “Product of Spain,” although he qualifies for many. He does not want any of their regulations or guidelines, even if he follows most of them innately! This is a first for us on the Mallorca Wine Trail!
With that information we were bursting with more questions about details, when Carlos suggested that we start to taste while we talk – so civilized, of course we should! Carlos had three glasses out, and he tasted every wine with us as we discussed them! Savoring a 2018 100% Premsal Blanc from stainless tank only, which Barbara brought from the cooler, Carlos explained that Premsal grapes are not high in sugar, and it is rare to see them above 12% alcohol, naturally, even in a hot year when sugars develop early and vigorously.
Although he dabbles in French grapes when the spirit moves him, Carlos is intrinsically focused on the island’s local grapes. At the time of our visit, his primary attention is with Prensal Blanc, Giró Ros, Giró Negre, Escursac Malvasia and Gorgollasa grapes; with the latter clearly being his passion. He explained that every year the weather is different, there are droughts and late rains, there are long cool springs and early hot summers, etc. The weather affects the grapes differently, the acidity, the natural yeasts, the sugars, etc. Those are among the factors he considers in choosing the grapes and production timings each harvest year.
Carlos told us Selva Vins wines are different every year because the grapes are different every year. In 2016 and 2019 Selva Vins had a 100% Callet, but not other years. Without a good grape he can’t make a good wine. He said he likes Callet, but doesn’t love it, so he is busy with other grapes he is more interested in. His current favorite is Gorgollasa, and he has been avidly involved in the development of the Giró Negre grape, which until 2023, was not yet approved for commercial production on Mallorca.
Note on Giró Negre: Remembering that many local wine grape varietals were thought lost during Phylloxera, recovery and certification of each grape varietal takes a long time. There are necessary tests and experiments to be done first, and vines must be healthy and stable to produce effectively. Where a foreign grape can be approved for a winery’s use in a year or less, the local ones take more time and effort. For example, Escursac took seven years to be approved for commercial production on Mallorca, Gorgollasa took thirteen, and Giró Negre, the dark skinned relative to Giró Ros, took over ten years of breeding and support to pass certification in 2023. There are several local wineries, including Selva Vins, that were pushing this process forward, a testament to the value of local commitment and dedication to local grapes and wines.
We noticed immediately that all the Selva Vins bottles were capped in wax not foil, and we asked if that was part of the Natural ideology. Carlos smiled with shy charm and told us no, it’s his aesthetic, he just likes it better. But it dawns on us that historically, wax came before foil; so it is traditional, like so many of Carlos’ winemaking ways. The wax and bottle labels are blue, the signature Selva Vins color.
Carlos worked in the vineyards of Mallorca on all levels, all over the island, for more than 20 years before he became a winemaker. This gave him an understanding of grapes and seasons that most winemakers don’t have! He is expert in all aspects of grape growing and harvesting, including green harvesting in early summer, seasonal water needs and tending, hand harvesting, winter pruning, and many other viticulturists on the island still call him for help all year long. When he was young his father grew grapes for eating, so he grew up enjoying and helping tend the family vines.
On to tasting the next wine. With another 2018 100% Premsal Blanc white named Premsal Castaño, Carlos rocked our world by telling us it was aged in Castaño = a Chestnut wood barrel from Cataluña! Another first for us! Carlos told us that on the island, before French oak became popular (and later American oak), Chestnut barrels were standard. Then in 1980-1990 Spain started using French Oak, it became the fashion and original woods were soon forgotten and lost. They are now virtually nonexistent on the island, as consumer palates and product availability have standardized oak; but for Carlos it was obvious to work with yet another normal process of the past. Carlos said he tasted chestnut and thought Premsal; and we were duly impressed by the flavor the Chestnut wood imparted to this unique wine! He first made Castaño in 2017, and said he taste-tested it every week, nervous about the 500 bottles from that barrel – now it is one of his regulars!
The next wine we tasted was their 2019 100% Giró Ros, which was bright and dry with lovely citrus notes. Carlos explained that the Giró Ros grape creates a more complex wine than Premsal, and is often 14-15 % alcohol because of its natural sugars, with notes of honey, herbs and grapefruit. While exploring these appealing aromas and flavors we learned that Carlos has his stable of regular wines, usually from Premsal Blanc, Gorgollasa, Giró Ros, Malvasia from Estellencs, and Escursac grapes. Usually all are fermented in stainless steel tanks, meaning that normally none go to barrel except his Premsal Castaño in chestnut. Except, in 2018 he used oak, stainless and clay, so every year is different! He likes to play and is not restricted by certifications!
It was then that Carlos shared the super fun fact that every year he makes what he calls Bonus Tracks. These are one-off production wines from grapes that have special qualities of interest to him that harvest year! Once those bottles are gone, that’s it! In 2016 he played and made a Merlot rosé which was almost like a jam, naturally sweet, the darkest grapes fermented without their skin. One year he made beer from grapes! Another year he made a red blend of seven red grapes and from different harvest years! For Carlos, even though he is a lover of local grapes, Callet and Manto Negro wines are bonus tracks, only interesting to him if the grapes are great that harvest.
On with our questions and conversation, we loved it when he told us “Every year the grapes are not the same, and I am not the same.” He goes for spontaneous fermentation and spontaneous wine choices. He told us that in 2019 the season was ideal and the grapes were so perfect that he put all in stainless tank only, to keep their natural flavors as unaffected as possible, except of course the Premsal Castaño which is a combination he loves and repeats. Conversely, Carlos told us that the year 2020 was not good for grapes, there were rains in the summer and humidity was bad. At Selva Vins, every vintage is a different wine: with his natural winemaking process it is impossible to make the same wine twice, and he doesn’t want to. Every harvest year anyone could call him to tell him about their valuable harvest, and he loves that variability.
We started talking about the simplicity of monovarietal wines, and how they are helpful in really understanding a grape. Carlos told us that the Premsal grape is simple, with pear and fennel notes, and not much complexity or structure. It does not have a lot of sugar, and often does not make it to 12% alcohol. All his life people told him that 100% Premsal wine wouldn’t work, and now he makes three! The first two as described above, and a Premsal Orange wine. He reminded us that orange wines are white grapes fermented with their skins (rarely done previously), and the color can look similar to a rosé from a red skinned grape. His was sold out, so unfortunately we did not get to taste it!
We learned that Orange wine has to be handled differently than white wine, because unlike whites, it is fermented with its skins. After the 1st fermentation is complete, the wine is removed from its skins (racking it to a new tank), yet it still contains sediments which fall to the bottom of the next fermenting container (the lees). A second fermentation is then created by leaving the wine with the lees as desired. Carlos told us he lets his Orange wine stay with the lees longer to play the color and flavor changes, like pear to baked pear, or as more volume develops the pear evolves to apricot.
More about Fermentation: The Yeasts’ job is to eat the natural grape sugars, producing alcohol, and then it dies. The dead yeast in the tank, with other grape sediments, is known as the lees. Carlos likes to play with the lees in order to obtain the flavors he enjoys. After the first fermentation, the lees fall to the bottom like a “fango,” the Spanish word for clay. This is cleaned by transferring/racking the wine to another tank, where it continues the second fermentation from the lees and their nano proteins. This potentially gives a creamy flavor to the wine. The stirring of the lees is called batonage in French. Chardonnay is often left for longer with its lees than other white wines, supporting the rich flavor characteristic of that wine.
The next wine we tasted, named Clarete, was a 2018 blend of 80% Prensal grapes (white) fermented with no skins, and 20% Gorgollasa (red) with skins. We did not know that a Clarete is called a Cigales on the Spanish mainland, and is a technique not grape! Although this wine is a lovely rosé color, it is technically not a Rosé because of the 80% white grapes, and thus it is actually a Clarete because of the white and red grape blend. Rosés are made from red grapes fermented with their skin for an extremely short time.
The next wine we tried was a red called Gargo, a 2019 100% Gorgollasa. Carlos told us Gorgollasa is most interesting for him because it has a very long opening and the bottle is often better the next day! It loves to open. He told us this was the most planted red grape on the island before phylloxera, and it was thought to have disappeared! In 2000 someone found 3 plants on a private property in Inca! With grafting, 13 years later, it can be produced on the island again. Carlos describes that it has notes of Mediterranean forest fruit like madroño and endrina, violets, pink pepper, smoke, black earth, mushrooms and with opening time comes mountain herbs like salvia. He clearly loves it!
All Selva Vins wines have low acidity, because Carlos refuses to add packaged acidity boosters. He told us that to be certified in Vi de la Terra, wines have to be no lower than 4.5% acidity, so most wineries add tartaric acid to their reds, ascorbic acid to sparkling wines, and citric acid to whites. Selva Vins was certified Vi de la Terra initially, but in 2019, with a naturally low 4% acidity wine he didn’t want to touch, he said no, he wouldn’t add external acidity, and he willingly gave up his certification. He said that when he was a worker he did what he was told and he added commercial yeasts, filtered the wines, added acids, etc. He knows all the processes; and now he confidently adds nothing (except those final low percent sulfites).
This led us to talking about acidity in wine. Tawnee dislikes high-acid wines that express as sour, and Merie dislikes low acid wines which can be flat and lackluster. Carlos agreed it’s all about getting the perfect acid balance – and catching that in natural wines is a real art. He says he could always blend to make a good wine, but it’s not his way, and his philosophy is that he is showing “this grape in this year.” He knows he could add acidity and good would come of it, but it’s not his way. Instead of acid he goes with fruit expression, and he feels good about it.
Carlos then told us about his 2019 Gorgollasa rosé Bonus Track called Ancestral, which was unfortunately sold out so we couldn’t try it. Ancestral is a natural pét-nat, bubbly from only one fermentation. Mallorca Wine Trail class in session: The word pét-nat is an abbreviation for “pétillant naturel” meaning “naturally sparkling.” Champagne and Cava have 2 fermentations, the 2nd created by adding sugar and yeast and finished in the bottle to achieve the bubbles there, and most are aged. Pét-nats only have one fermentation and are generally enjoyed young; this Gorgollasa rosé is that way. Fun fact, in 2017 they made the first pét-nat on the island!
On a quick tour around the room, we saw the tanks and barrels, and where they fill, cork, label and wax-seal each bottle by hand; and Barbara told us it takes about an hour per bottle! With 17,000. bottles expected for the 2021 harvest year wines, for example, bottling time is a family event!! We asked about their choice of corks, and they told us they buy from a French company selling Spanish cork.
The Selva Vins label is a watercolor made for them by a local artist named Toni. It is a classic view of the picturesque town of Selva under a full moon. The blue color was chosen as it appeals to Carlos and Barbara the most, and all bottles are sealed with blue wax. As the moon was on the label, we asked if they are also biodynamic, where the moon phases are observed in agricultural timing. Carlos replied that he uses some of the biodynamic techniques but is not fully biodynamic, and that the moon in the painting was for other reasons: for their daughter Luna (moon), and for Carlos’s self-proclaimed wine-lunacy! Their other daughter Hada (fairy) is learning wine making in Binisalem, and last year had her debut wine year with a fairy on the label which sold-out!
This year the Bonus track we tasted was a 2017 Malvasia Dulce Natural, lightly sweet because the fermentation stopped naturally with sugars still in evidence, so he finessed that. In fact it was an accident. He told us that Malvasia grapes have high sugar content and are normally fermented a long time to bring sugars down – and this usually means the alcohol % is up. But in this vintage, the natural yeast died early and fermentation stopped with residual sugars, so he played that by putting it in Chestnut barrel – and now he says it is famous. We tried it! It has a gorgeous amber color and lovely aroma, with good natural acidity balancing the light sweetness.
Winding down, Carlos told us a fascinating fact: There was virtually no Manto Negro grape planted on Mallorca before phylloxera! That is astonishing because now it is touted as Mallorca’s favorite local grape. We have been researching to find out more about this, but all we find is that it is “an exclusively native Mallorcan grape.” Carlos says it is a relatively young grape, made from crossing other local grapes like Fogoneu with the genes of numerous vines better able to withstand the plague. He told us that Callet, Giró Negre, Gorgollasa and Premsal grapes are all older than Manto Negro. With its current prevalence, the latter must have been a choice grape for post-phylloxera resurgence because of its vitality. Let us know if you know more about it than we do! We hated to leave, having learned and enjoyed so much. We both bought bottles of the Castaño; and asked him how long his wines stay stable in bottle, if any are the type that get better with age, or if any have a definite drink-by date. He said he doesn’t know, it’s different every year. This year the bottles from 2016 are still good, and that’s all he can go by!
Carlos Rodríguez Furthmann: A trailblazer and grape fanatic who does it “My Way”
