From the shoe factory to Bodega number 65
In the hamlet of Cas Canar near Pina stands a building that one would not associate with viticulture at first glance: a former shoe factory from the 20th century. Since 2016, the halls have been converted into a winery, air-conditioned, and equipped with modern cellar technology. At the end of 2023, the current team led by oenologist Thomas Wambsganss took over the bodega and immediately started a consistent quality offensive. The name says it all: Sencelles has always been considered the heart of Mallorcan viticulture — over the centuries, 64 bodegas existed here. Out of respect for this tradition, the new project bears the number 65.
Thomas Wambsganss brings a biography that spans two wine worlds: raised in the family winery in the Palatinate, he learned the craft from the ground up before coming to Mallorca. There, he worked for ten years as a winemaker at Castell Miquel and subsequently managed the Mandia Vell winery — both formative stations that shaped his style between artisanal care and Mediterranean lightness.
Quality grows in the vineyard — and is preserved in the cellar
The guiding principle of Bodega65 is clearly formulated: quality is created in the vineyard; in the cellar, it is merely preserved. Thomas Wambsganss and his team manage 14 hectares of vines at four different locations in the center and east of Mallorca. Consciously chosen, not randomly put together: in the surroundings of Porto Cristo, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Shiraz grow on hillsides, where evening cooling winds ensure freshness and acidity structure. Different microclimates and specific soils — including limestone with sandstone inclusions — result in wines with their own character depending on their origin.
In the cellar, Wambsganss has developed a process chain that retains the character of a manufactory even with a capacity of 100,000 liters. Grapes are cooled and transported gently, processing runs according to the gravity principle without mechanical pressure, and fermentation takes place at a constant temperature and airtight. Every step serves the same goal: to bring what has grown in the vineyard into the bottle unadulterated.
Mediterranean grape varieties, a Mallorcan unique selling point
The range of Bodega65 moves within the framework of the designation of origin Vi de la Terra Mallorca and combines international with local grape varieties. The Chardonnay shows apricot, honeydew melon, and a nutty note in the bouquet, creamy on the palate with a powerful body. The Cuvée Dos Blanc combines Moscatel, Chardonnay, and the Mallorcan variety Giró Ros: pear, green apple, dried apricot — with the typically elegant nutmeg flower in the background and a powerful, yet not heavy structure. Bottling is done in clay bottles instead of glass: opaque, better insulating, cooling longer — a visible sign that Wambsganss makes no compromises even in the final step.
