Purgatori 2021
92
Tim Atkin
Great aging wine from Bodegas Torres
95 puntos
Decanter World Wine Awards
Purgatori 2021 is a red wine produced by Bodegas Torres from the fruit of their best vineyards of cariñena, garnacha, and syrah, planted in Els Desterrats (D.O. Costers del Segre). Aged between 15 and 18 months in barrels (30% new French oak from Nevers).
General features
Type of wine
Region
Type of barrel
Barrel (30% new French oak from Nevers)
Type of bottle
Truncated Conical Bottle
Barrel aging time
15-18 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14.5
General Information
Purgatori 2021 owes its name to the history of the L'Aranyó estate (Lleida), the destination, at the end of the 18th century, of the monks from the Montserrat abbey who had to fulfill penance. Here Torres discovered a perfect terroir for producing a great aging red wine. Created through a delightful blend of two local grapes: cariñena and garnacha, with an added touch of the foreign syrah, and aged 15-18 months in oak. The area's extreme climate and its soils poor in organic matter result in a warm, powerful red wine with a noble austere tannin.
Torres is, surely, the best-known Spanish winery in the world. A historic signature of Penedès and in the hands of the founding family since 1870. Today, a large company with a string of very well-known brands internationally, catering to all tastes, from exclusive oenological gems to accessible wines.
In the D.O. Costers del Segre, Bodegas Torres owns the L'Aranyó estate, built in 1770 by order of the Montserrat abbey. Today, this 500-hectare estate houses 50 hectares of vineyards that grow in very deep, well-drained soils with a low content of organic matter. A terroir from which grapes are born with concentration characteristics suitable for producing long-aging wines, like Purgatori 2021.
Tasting notes
Purgatori is a dark cherry color, with an impressive layer.
Intense aroma of black forest berries (arándanos) over a background of nuts (nueces), fine smoky notes, and a distinctive mineral touch from the terruño.
On the palate, it is warm, powerful, with an austere yet noble tannin.
The winery
Since their beginnings as winemakers in 1870, the Familia Torres has combined tradition and innovation in the production of prestigious wines and brandies, always working with the utmost respect for the environment. Linked to the land for more than three centuries – with the first references as winegrowers dating back to 1559 – they have historically had wineries and vineyards in Penedès, where they originate, as well as in Conca de Barberà, Priorat, and Costers del Segre. Each generation has contributed to the development of the business and passed on to the next the passion for wine culture, the importance of caring for the land, and the pursuit of excellence.
The fourth generation, led by Miguel A. Torres, introduced the cultivation of cabernet sauvignon in Spain, creating 'Mas la Plana' in 1970, while the fifth generation today focuses on producing wines from unique vineyards and historic estates, as well as recovering ancestral Catalan grape varieties. This project allows for the recovery of viticultural heritage and could become a future solution to climate change due to the ability of these varieties to withstand high temperatures and drought. Additionally, Familia Torres contributes to minimizing the consequences by reducing their CO2 emissions, from the vineyard to the consumer, through the use of renewable energy, sustainable vehicles, energy efficiency measures, reducing bottle weight, regenerative viticulture, reforestation, and more. Their goal is to become a zero net emissions winery by 2040.
Familia Torres is also present with its own vineyards and wineries in Spain's main wine regions – Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rueda, and Rías Baixas – as well as in Chile and California. They are members of Primum Familiae Vini, an association that brings together twelve of Europe's most prestigious centenary wine-producing families. Familia Torres owns more than 1,100 hectares of vineyards in Spain, 1,000 of which are located in Catalunya and certified as organic by the CCPAE. Most of the vineyards are cultivated using regenerative viticulture techniques.