4 Kilos

4 Kilos

Mallorca, Spain

At a Glance

• Founded in 2006 Francesc Grimalt and Sergio Caballero set up 4 Kilos Wine as a way to explore low intervention expressions of largely indigenous Mallorcan grape varietals from coastal sites.

• Francesc was the former winemaker of Anima Negra but left that project because he believed a lighter hand in the cellar and a lighter style better showcased this unique terroir

• 4 Kilos owns 15 Ha of vineyards spread across different areas of the island and uses the IGT Mallorca designation for their wines as a result. They like to think of the island as one appellation, and supplement their own estate fruit with fruit from their friends and neighbors.

• Grapes are sourced from old vines grown on reddish ferrous-clay soils locally known as Call Vermell (Vermell Translating as red in Catalan). “Call Vermell is terrific because it combines gravel with clay components so the soil dries up quickly. Clay retains water whereas gravel becomes as compact as cement so the ground retains water on the lower layers and grapes reach full ripeness.” - Francesc Grimalt

• The name 4 Kilos refers to the 4 million pesetas (€24,000) that the two partners invested to start the project (In Spanish, "kilo" is a colloquial way to say one million). “This was our particular statement of principles. There’s no need to be a millionaire to make wine; all that’s needed is passion and hard work,” - Sergio Caballero. The beginnings were humble with their first vintage being made in the garage of a friend using stainless steel milk tanks. An old sheep barn was later converted into a winery.

About 4 Kilos

To understand the philosophy behind 4 Kilos’ winemaking, look no further than the name. It represents the initial investment of both partners—four million pesetas. That’s a relatively modest amount to start a winery, but it personifies their whole idea: Great wine doesn’t require huge sums of cash, just passion, respect for the land, and an uncompromising approach to quality.

Crafting small-lot wines from certified organic vineyards on the island of Mallorca, 4 Kilos embodies a commitment to finding the ideal combination of soil, climate, and clone for each variety, with a focus on indigenous grapes rarely grown in other parts of the world. In fact, if it wasn’t for partner Francesco Grimalt – who teamed up with Sergio Caballero in 2006 to form 4 Kilos – the Callet grape might not exist on the Balearic Islands.

Sergio, a former partner at Anima Negra Cellar partner, is regionally renowned for his work rescuing the native variety. And he’s continued working with it ever since. Together, Sergio and Francesco built 4 Kilos from the ground up – making their first wine in a fellow grower’s garage. A musician by trade, Caballero is the co-director of the Sonar Festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Arts. He got to work creating an image for the fledgling winery while Grimalt, with nothing but work ethic and some quality grapes, made in milk refrigeration units.

The next year, with the help of a Balearic agrarian society called Apolonia Viticultors, the duo converted a former sheep farm into a small winery, where they still make 4 Kilos wines today. They now own vineyards in northern and southern Mallorca, outside of any particular D.O. and rooted primarily in a ferrous-clay soil called Cal Vermell. All of their farming practices prioritize respect for the environment—like allowing native cover crops to inhabit the land, which increases ground porosity and microbial populations. They focus on finding the perfect soils, climate, and strain for each variety, primarily those indigenous to Mallorca.