[NEW]: GONFAUS 2021 – RECOVERED VARIETY 46

A New Wine Made from Recovered Ancestral Varieties

For more than 30 years, Familia Torres has worked on recovering ancestral varieties, an undertaking that continues to yield new and exciting fruit. Today the fifth generation of Familia Torres has embraced this legacy as part of its raison d’être: every newly recovered variety presents the winery with an opportunity to delve into the identity of its wines, creating new, exceptional varietals and blends that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world.  Wines as unique as their namesake grapes, in this case, Gonfaus.
Not only is the recovery of this heritage a cultural achievement, but many of these varieties have proven quite drought- and heat-resistant, a crucial attribute in terms of climate change adaptation. As a result, the cultivation and vinification of these varieties will most likely increase in the coming years. 

Gonfaus, a wine made from the ancestral red variety of the same name  

About the Gonfaus variety

Newly rediscovered, Gonfaus will soon step out of obscurity, because it checks all the boxes of the profile and characteristics described above.

A Gonfaus vine, a Familia Torres property 

Gonfaus: distinguishing physiological characteristics

Gonfaus is low yielding and one of the few female varieties known today – most grapevines are hermaphroditic. A study by the French ampelographer Thierry Lacombe on the kinship between grape varieties has shown that Gonfaus is a very old variety, mother of Querol – one of the first varieties that Familia Torres recovered – and a relative of many others, including the ancestral Pirene, Trobat, and Graciano.

Gonfaus: tasting note

• Gonfaus produces wines with a medium-high colour intensity. A canvas of dark cherry red with violet highlights that brings to mind the elegance of great classic Mediterranean reds.

• On the nose, ripe but very lively, distinctive red fruit melds with slightly spicy undertones to yield complex and seductive aromatic characteristics. An intensity that envelops and immerses us in an exemplary Mediterranean essence. 

• The palate displays well-integrated acidity and captivating concentration with sweet, ripe tannins. As for the integration of the alcohol, it is simply spectacular, providing structure but without calling attention to itself. 

• There is a certain linearity to Gonfaus, with a straightforward palate entry, but the wine turns big, generous, intense as it unfolds towards the finish, with the now-settled notes of ripe fruit and spices returning on the long aftertaste. More than rustic, Gonfaus is deeply rooted in the land. The kind of intangible traits that transform a wine into a memorable experience.

A cluster of Gonfaus grapes, a Familia Torres property 

You will enjoy Gonfaus if…

• The expressiveness of Mediterranean wines speaks to your soul and palate – you understand their nuances; they make you feel at home.

• You seek honesty and “something more” than just a wine. Gonfaus is expressive and here to stay. A part of history retold as innovative winemaking.

• You love discovering new wines and varieties that are undeniably unique. Curious palates, this is your wine!
   

Along with the other recovered varieties, Gonfaus guarantees the survival of a viticultural tradition threatened by the impact of climate change – as well as offering an exceptional organoleptic experience that transcends the palate to touch on the culture of winegrowing itself.