Mas la Plana: 1970 – 2010
Four decades marked by experience, continuous reinvention and, above all, immense satisfaction. More vibrant than ever, Mas La Plana now celebrates its fortieth vintage.
The birth of Mas La Plana could be seen as daring and clearly ahead of its time, but the long road it has traveled since has made the wine the perfect ambassador of the Torres Family's values and ideals, as well as one of the best exponents of methodical, respectful and passionate viticulture.
Mas La Plana 2010 is the result of forty vintages worth of experience, embodying the legacy of a timeless wine whose origins cross the threshold where history becomes legend.
[The Black Sheep: How It All Began]
Anything created through the will and determination of a nonconformist tends to stir up controversy. These are projects that are often misunderstood, but necessary and which transcend their time.
Four decades ago, Miguel Agustín Torres came up with the idea for a different and daring wine that represented a step forward in the stagnant winemaking tradition of the time. It was Mas La Plana, a Cabernet Sauvignon in a Burgundy bottle, dressed in black.
In doing so, Miguel A. Torres wanted to define the character of a wine made from the Cabernet Sauvignon he had planted in the Mas La Plana vineyard in 1966, thus revolutionizing the Spanish wine industry. After all, what other outcome could one expect? Certainly none that would leave people feeling indifferent.
Few had confidence in the project. Even his father, Miguel Torres Carbó, had his doubts, regarding the endeavor with a certain amount of mistrust: “How can a Spanish Cabernet in a Burgundy bottle be a good wine?” The answer would come years later...
[Remembering Paris: The Conclusion]
In 1979, and without having come to any sort of agreement, father and son decided to enter the contentious wine in the most prestigious competition that existed at the time: the Wine Olympics in Paris, organized by the food and wine magazine Gault & Millau, whose jury would settle the controversy.
No one could have predicted that in a most surprising turn of events, Mas La Plana 1970 would defeat the world's most acclaimed Cabernets, giving birth to the legend of a wine that—vintage after vintage—offers a tangible reflection of the power of idealism and the determination of the man who created it.
From the very first vintage on, Mas La Plana has won more international awards than any other Spanish wine, becoming an iconic legend that has transcended time.
[Mas La Plana 2010: Tasting Notes]
Dark cherry red and deeply aromatic. It offers notes of blueberry and cherry jam. Sublime with wild game, excellent with sheep cheeses.
Appellation: D.O. Penedès
Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon
Aging: 18 months in new French oak
“In terms of Bodegas Torres, Mas La Plana changed the course of the winery's history, but the wine also represented a personal turning point, a paradigm shift in how I envisioned what winegrowing and enology should be, the importance of taking risks, persevering and innovating. It had an impact on my life, on the life of my family, and I would like to think on the lives of the men and women who believed in this utopia and worked very hard so that now—four decades later—Mas La Plana continues to be a model of Spanish winemaking that is recognized the world over.
To all of them, I would like to express sincere and enduring gratitude.”
Miguel A. Torres