Hola! Exporing Catalonia with Torres
At the beginning of September, finally embarking on a trip I have long wished for – an invitation from our wine partner and importer, Dreyfus, Ashby & Co to spend a few days in Barcelona and the Penedes and Priorat wine regions of northern Spain with the Torres family.
Day one was a visit to the winery at Villafranca, about an hour from Barcelona. It was the most comprehensive wine tour I have been on in a long time. My host Ingrid Wrage was so hospitable and informative. Most wineries forget to give you an overview of who the winery is and dive right into the details. Not at Torres, they have a really well made fifteen minute video of the history of the winery. And what a history it is. They have been in existence since 1870, and have survived two world wars (the winery was bombed and destroyed in 1939 by the Germans) and rose to become the leading exporter of Spanish wines to about 140 countries. Their international appeal was no more evident than several groups we encountered along the way – English, Russians, French just in the couple of hours I was there.
In 1979, the 1970 vintage of Mas la Plana Cabernet Sauvignon won the “Wine Olympics” – a tasting vs the First Growths of France (Latour, Lafite, 
Mouton, Margaux, Haut Brion), a bit like the Judgement of Paris. This was the stunning news of the time. It put Torres on the world map, and they have not looked back since. We tasted several vintages of Mas la Plana – 1988, 1996, 2000 – all absolutely delicious; firm and strong, with well integrated tannins in youth, and then with age – very inviting, elegant and aromatic. We tasted a wine called “Reserva Real”, the 2006 vintage, another blockbuster Cabernet which they make only a few hundred cases of. The wine was commissioned to be produced in commemoration of King Juan Carlos of Spain, he picked it as his favorite during the 125th anniversary celebration in 1995; delicious, all of it.
But Torres isn’t just about Cabernet. They are devoted to picking the best vineyard sites in the best regions and making wines there. In the Penedes, they farm small plots of land to produce outstanding Sauvignon Blanc (Fransola) and Pinot Noir (Mas Borras). Also from the Penedes - the intensely aromatic “Vina Esmerelda” from 85% Moscato or Moscatel (Emerald or Esmerelda referring to the color of the wine) Bringing the best from Rioja - “Ibericos”, aptly named for the region of Catalonia and the Iberian peninsula. “Celeste” from the Ribera del Duero rounds out a lineup of premium wines of different appellations and varietals which all have one thing in common – they are all really tasty to drink!
I had been dreaming about visiting the Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but the five hour journey to get there meant it wasn’t going to happen on this, very brief visit to Spain. But unbeknownst to me, I would discover an unexpected treasure on day two. I traveled to a new wine region called “Conca de Barberà”, and quickly became enamored with this very special place. I had not heard of this area, and to my surprise, it was one of the highlights of my trip.
First we visited “Milmanda”, a 9th century medieval castle with vineyards that were farmed by the Cistercian monks. It came complete with a defense tower and a very interesting story. Back in the day, they would pour hot oil and rocks out of specially designed holes in the wall if their enemies approached and attacked the tower. They make a stunning Chardonnay here, only a few hundred cases. And they farm everything organically. Of course, that’s no big deal to Torres, it’s a part of the culture at all the Torres’ estates. The winery was recently recognized by the United Nations as the most important leading “Green” winery in the world and awarded a “Fair Trade” Certification by IMO.
After “Milmanda” we headed to “Grans Muralles,” which translates to “The Big Wall.” It was a quick ten minute drive and there we were, standing in 
front of a very big wall, which I quickly found out, was built to protect the neighboring Monastery of Poblet. Today the vineyards produce a delicious wine, a blend of Garnacha and Carinena and two indigenous varieties called Samsó and Garrós. (Torres saved these varieties from extinction following the Phylloxera attacks of the late 1800’s). Only a few hundred cases are made of this special wine.
I was curious about the Monastery of Poblet and whether it was still functioning, so I asked my guide, Lenora. “Absolutely,” she assured me, “it is still in operation. Would you like to go and take a look?” She took me inside the monastery and talk about stepping back in time; we actually walked right by a real, live monk; the robe, the funny haircut and big gold chains around his neck, just like you see in the movies.
And the day just kept getting better. About an hour’s drive from the Penedes we arrived in Priorat. My breath was literally taken away as I stood at an elevation of about 800 feet above sea level, looking over the rolling hills in this huge valley, surrounded by mountain ranges where Romans once farmed the land and produced wine (B.C). It was a dormant winemaking region from about the 3rd or 4th century all the way to the 8th Century. This is when Muslims inhabited the area.
But in the 8th century the Carthusian Monks arrived and brought winemaking back to the region. Today, Torres has a winery there called “Salmos” (Psalms) which produces a deep concentrated red wine blend of Garnacha, Carinena and Syrah. What makes this area unique is the soil; “llicorella” slate soils. For about a century, between the late 1800’s when phylloxera devastated Priorat, up until not very long ago, there was not much going on in Priorat in terms of wine. Like Napa, the boom happened late again in the 1980’s.
Read more about my experiences at Salmos in my blog about my afternoon in the Priorat.
To see all the photos from this trip to Torres, click here.
