Familia Torres presents a new Vinyarets wine, part of a range that pays homage to Penedès and celebrates the family's winemaking origins. The collection made its debut last year with a red blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo, and Sumoll – three traditional varieties. Now the family-owned winery – which was founded in Vilafranca 150 years ago – unveils a 2019 vintage, 100% organic Xarel·lo, the white flagship grape of Penedès.
The Vinyarets collection comprises landscape-inspired wines that convey the history of Penedès, its wine and grape heritage, and the diversity of its vineyards, soils, and microclimates. These limited productions begin with a selection of small vineyards from across the region, which are then carefully studied to identify those parcels where the variety reaches its finest expression. This makes it possible to reflect its typicity in the bottle.
For this particular Xarel·lo, the winery chose eight well-established vineyards mostly planted with traditional free-standing vines that are over thirty years old and grow in calcareous clay soils. Several of the selected parcels lie at 350 to 400 meters in the Font-Rubí area, ideal enclaves to explore the limits of this long-cycle variety and obtain a fresher and more expressive wine.
Each parcel was hand harvested, and the lots were vinified separately guided by a straightforward, low-intervention approach that respects the typically rustic character of the Xarel·lo variety. The wine was vinified and aged on its lees for six months in stainless steel. Vinyarets white is a cheerful wine, modern and exuberant in style, with remarkable aromatic intensity and freshness. The pleasant texture and complexity on the palate reveal a wine that strikes a good balance between excellent aging and marked acidity, giving rise to citrus, floral, and spicy notes.
In terms of vintage, 2019 was a dry year in Penedès, especially during the growth season, with normal temperatures overall, although the summer was hotter than usual. The slightly delayed harvest brought in well-ripened, perfectly healthy grapes that have resulted in wines of outstanding quality.
Both Vinyarets white and its red sibling sport an eye-catching label illustrated with old vines whose colorful leaves and clusters express the diversity and heritage of this thousand-year-old wine region.
