Familia Torres Mas La Plana Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
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James
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Robert
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Mas La Plana is the result of the vision and determination of Miguel A. Torres. This exceptional wine burst onto the international scene in 1979, with its first vintage from 1970, by beating the world’s greatest Cabernets in the Gault & Millau Wine Olympics held in Paris. Thus a legend was born, signalling a paradigm shift and leading the way in how to make premium wines from estate-grown grapes. Owing to the excellent adaptation and balance of the old Cabernet vines, Mas La Plana has evolved to reach its maximum expression.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Complex, fine nose with some cigars, tobacco, cedar wood, chili chocolate and olives alongside blackberries and finely roasted spices. Some cocoa powder savoriness, too. Palate is juicy, savory and precise with a medium to full body, showing silky and refined tannins with tension and resolve. Beautiful length with finesse, restraint and elegance here. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 Mas La Plana was produced from a cool and late harvest of the vines planted between 1964 and 1979 in the Mas La Plana estate in Penedès at 225 meters in altitude on gravel, sand and clay soils. It fermented in 10,000-liter oak foudres with indigenous yeasts and matured in French oak barrels, 55% of them new, 20% in foudre and 25% in stainless steel for nine to 15 months, depending on the plot. This is very peppery and spicy, cool and varietal with a Mediterranean accent. This is the vineyard where they started with regenerative agriculture. It’s minty and has fine-grained tannins, spicy, herbal and fresh, reflecting a cooler year with more rain. In 2016, they introduced oak vats for the fermentation. They are also going for larger volumes for élevage and some wine kept in stainless steel. The best vintages at Mas la Plana are always the cooler years.
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In 2020, Familia Torres Winery is celebrating their 150th anniversary, but the family’s roots extend even farther than that. The first mention of the Torres wine family was in 1557, but the winery wasn’t established until 1870, when the profits from the family shipping company made it possible to enter the commercial wine space.
Miguel Torres Vendrell founded the company, and since then, the family has passed on the winery (and the name Miguel) steadfastly from generation to generation. They hit a setback when the winery was bombed during the Spanish civil war, but Miguel Torres i Carbó rebuilt, and began the bottling and exporting of the wine.
In 1991, Miguel A. Torres took the reigns, and remains president today. He made remarkable strides in environmental advocacy, social responsibility, fair trade, and research and innovation. Since 2012, Miguel Torres Maczassek has been at the helm, and has continued his father’s work, while also embarking on his own projects. Recognized year after year and Drinks Internationals’ “World’s Most Admired Wine Brand,” the story of Familia Torres is a known and respected one throughout Spain and the world.
Juan Torres Master Distillers is the spirits division of Familia Torres. Its origins date back to 1928 when Juan Torres Casals of the family’s second generation began making aged brandies matured in oak casks; smooth and aromatic spirits distilled from a selection of the finest white Penedès (Barcelona) wines. With 90 years to its name, Juan Torres Master Distillers continues to perfect the art of distillation to this day – a constant pursuit of excellence that finds reflection in each one of its ten, exquisitely crafted spirits, including brandy, pisco, and orange liqueur produced under the brands Torres Brandy, El Gobernador, and Magdala. These elegant, personality-driven spirits find their perfect match in the world of mixology, where they live up to the expectations of a new consumer who delights in shared moments of superior quality.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
A superior source of white grapes for the production of Spain’s prized sparkling wine, Cava, the Penedes region is part of Catalunya and sits just south of Barcelona. Medio Penedès is the most productive source of the Cava grapes, Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada. Penedes also grows Garnacha and Tempranillo (here called Ull de Llebre in Catalan), for high quality reds and rosès.