Winemaker Notes
Deeply opaque, intense garnet colour. Expressive, rich, and fruit-laden (blueberry, morello or sour cherry jam) nose with spicy (black pepper) notes and dried fruit (fig, dates, dried plum) undertones that meld with oak imparted toasty nuances. The palate is light and velvety, delicate rather than nervy, but persistent and pleasant.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Wild raspberry and lingonberry fruit flavors are ripe and juicy, set in this mineral-driven red and framed by fine, taut tannins. Fragrant accents of Mediterranean scrub, blood orange peel, white pepper and iron linger on the fresh, focused finish. Carinena, Garnacha and Syrah. Drink now through 2036. 8,270 cases made, 50 cases imported.
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James Suckling
A hint of grilled Mediterranean herbs to the red berries, red cherries and some spices. Dusty, creamy tannins on the medium-bodied palate with a juicy, composed finish.
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Vinous
The 2021 Purgatori is a blend of 75% Garnacha and 25% Cariñena from Costers del Segre. Aged in one-third-new oak barrels for up to 12 months, this garnet-hued wine reveals notes of cotton candy and herbs atop a core of red fruit. It is dry, plush and rich with smooth tannins, concluding with a broad and flavorful finish.
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.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
A wine region in Catalonia on the northeastern coast of Spain, Costers del Segre obtained DO status in 1986. Since then, the region has experienced many changes, including the addition of new international grape varieties alongside traditional native varieties, the adoption of modern California winemaking methods and the creation of sub-regions.
Both cooperative and private bodegas have incorporated these changes leading to a series of wines with great personal character and uniqueness. Some of them are considered among the most unusual in Spain, their styles based on thoughtful blending of local grapes with recently planted French varieties. And thanks to the climate and soil conditions, there is also plenty of potential for future development.
The principal white grape varieties of the region are Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo, Chardonnay, Garnacha Blanca, Albariño, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. The principal red grape varieties include Garnacha Tinta, Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo), Monastrell, Trepat, Samsó, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah.