4 WINES FOR SPRING

The arrival of spring awakens the body and palate. During the cold season most of us settle into a hibernation of sorts, but now the desire to meet up on a sunny terrace comes rushing in. These lovely spring days are the perfect excuse to gather our favourite people around a table, share a moment, and enjoy good wine. 

Fransola (DO Penedès)

Sauvignon Blanc offers us the two sides of spring. We like the cool climate notes reminiscent of freshly cut grass that reveal its more herbaceous profile with citrus and aniseed nuances. These are light, elegant, and delicate wines with wonderful acidity. At the same time, we love the echoes of stone fruit and passion fruit associated with warmer climates. These are fragrant wines, an invitation to immerse ourselves in a sea of sensations. Fransola embodies the personality of Sauvignon Blanc from the higher elevations of Penedès, rounded out by six months of ageing in new French and American oak.  

Fransola pairs perfectly with seasonal rice dishes  

Bright pale gold colour, clean to the eye. Lovely fruit aroma (ripe peach) with fine creamy (butter) and spice (vanilla) notes and undertones reminiscent of dried fruit and nuts (hazelnut praline). Flavourful and pleasant, with a finish more notable for its finesse than length.  

Clos Ancestral (DO Penedès) 

Clos Ancestral is rooted in Familia Torres’s commitment to recover the region’s long forgotten ancestral varieties. The area around Castell de la Bleda, the birthplace of Clos Ancestral in the heart of Penedès, reveals the traces of more than 2000 years of viticulture. Archaeologists have unearthed vestiges of Iberian, Roman, medieval, and pre-phylloxera vineyards that point to the past cultivation of varieties like Moneu, rescued from oblivion to become part of the Clos Ancestral blend.  

Deeply opaque cherry red hue (impressive depth of colour). Delicate nose with fine floral (violet) and fruit (red currant jam) notes. Smooth, supple, and light as it unfolds across the palate, with a pleasant texture that foregoes power in favour of exceptional acidity, the wine’s signature trait.  

Clos Ancestral paired with a cheese assortment at a restaurant terrace

Blanco Granito (DO Rías Baixas) 

Shaped by the influence of the sea and the Umia River, which articulates the Salnés Valley and flows just a few metres from the pazo, Blanco Granito is a unique wine, the first to be fermented and aged in granite. 

Blanco Granito 2019 is the first wine to undergo fermentation and ageing in vats made of granite, the predominant and exclusive rock of the Galician appellation of origin. 

Blanco Granito by Pazo Torre Penelas, an Albariño varietal  

Vinified in egg-shaped granite vats for 15 days at a temperature of 14ºC, the wine then remains in those same vessels for a period of eight months in slow and constant motion, keeping the lees suspended. The wine then spends another eight months in stainless steel tanks prior to bottling. 

With its briny Atlantic profile, the wine expresses the freshness of the variety. Citrus essence, remarkable acidity, and fragrant stone fruit. Blanco Granito strikes a balance between historical tradition and innovation.  

Cuvée Rosé de Mar 2017 

Much like its sibling the white Cuvée Esplendor, this long-aged vintage sparkling wine stands out for its elegance and freshness thanks to the elevation of the vineyards and the meticulous selection of the grapes. With subtle yet lively bubbles, Cuvée Rosé de Mar 2017 is made according to the traditional method at the winery located in an old country estate in Santa Margarida d’Agulladolç, Alt Penedès, once home to Daniel Vardon Kennett at the dawn of the 19th century. 

This highly refined extra brut rosé combines wonderfully with food. The Pinot Noir variety, with its characteristic cherry notes, expresses itself fully, framed by a perfectly balanced interplay of fine fruit acidity and the nuances imparted by long bottle ageing of at least 39 months. 

Cuvée Rosé de Mar and ceviche, a perfect match  

Red or white, still or sparkling, let’s raise a glass to spring, this year and in all the years to come.