Torres Perpetual, DOQ Priorat

Description

Torres Perpetual is a red wine from the Priorat wine-growing region, bottled as a Denominacion de Origen Calificado (or DOQ). It is an old vine blend of Carinena and Garnacha. Available to buy now at Fareham Wine Cellar

Familia Torres Wines

Familia Torres Wines has been making wine in the ancient Catalán town of Vilafranca del Penedès, southwest of Barcelona, since the 17th Century. It is this tradition combined with innovation, dynamism and commitment to quality that has put Torres firmly on the world map. They remain one of the largest family-owned and run wine companies in the world (there is also Miguel Torres Chile and Marimar Torres in California) and, under the stewardship of fourth-generation Miguel Torres they are committed to sustainable viticulture and green practices.

Today Torres not only have vineyards in their home region of Penedes, but all over Spain in regions such as Priorat, Rioja and Rueda. In 2006 Torres was awarded European Winery of the Year in Wine Enthusiast’s Annual Wine Star Awards. The Torres family is also one of the founding members of Primum Familiae Vini.

Torres in Priorat

Priorat is a small wine-growing area that has been making wine for the last eight centuries. The “denominación” is located in the province of Tarragona and has come to fame in the last decade after starting to apply new winemaking technologies. At the beginning of the 1980s, many wine producers began planting French grapes to combine with the local varieties, and since then they have been producing more modern, new-wave Priorat wines. Traditional and new wines’ quality is due to their unique microclimate and soil. The land, and this combination of old and new wines, have made Priorat one of the most closely watched areas of cultivation in Europe.

In 1996 the Torres Family began work on the planting of vineyards on the slopes strewn with the hard, black slate-like “Licorella” stone and the first wine they produced was the Torres Salmos. Torres Perpetual is its big brother. The wine is made personally by Mireia Torres, a fifth-generation member of the family and Technical Director at Bodegas Torres.

Torres Perpetual Profile

Torres Perpetual underwent a revamp in 2017 with a new label but also in terms of winemaking. Old Cariñena vines, which lend distinct expression to the region’s llicorella soils, have an even greater presence in the new blend, and reducing the length of skin contact further emphasises the fresh, floral character of the variety. Furthermore, the ageing barrels are giving way to 1,500-litre foudres for a more delicate oak treatment which allows the fruit to shine.

Torres Perpetual Vineyards

The grapes for Torres Perpetual come from vineyards located in the municipalities of El Lloar, Bellmunt, El Molar, Porrera and Torroja, which are between 80 and 100 years old. The vines are found in small parcels owned by local winegrowers, in different municipalities and at different altitudes, and are monitored closely to ensure the highest quality of the fruit. The soils here are shallow, developed over Carboniferous (Paleozoic) slates that drain swiftly and have a low water-holding capacity. It is precisely these soils, located on steep slopes, that give Priorat wines their typicity.

Winemaking

• Date grapes picked: 18 September to 5 October (varies by area and variety)
• Skin contact: 12-14 days
• Fermentation type: Temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks
• Alcoholic fermentation length: About 1 week
• Fermentation temperature: 25-26°C
• Ageing: 18 months in French oak foudres (10 hl and 20 hl capacity); 40% new, 60% second fill

Torres Perpetual is a blend of 79% old vine Carinena and 21% Garnacha.

This wine is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.