Malpastor Crianza 2020, produced by La Carbonera –Familia Torres’s winery in La Rioja–, was awarded a Gold Medal at the inaugural Vinum wine competition ‘Best of Rioja 2024’. Scoring 90 points out of 100, this new Rioja wine, a 100% Tempranillo from selected vineyards at the base of the Cantabria Mountain range (also known as Sonsierra), has been described as harmonious, fresh and elegant by the judging panel.

Familia Torres’ wine project in Rioja Alavesa started almost 20 years ago, building a winery in Labastida. Its latest wine Malpastor, crafted by winemaker Julio Carreter, shows the distinct characteristics of 25-year-old vineyards planted on gentle slopes and small terraces, and captures the influence of its clay-limestone soils. These soils bring elegance and subtle savoury notes to the wine, complementing the fruitiness of the Tempranillo variety and the creaminess and finesse achieved through the ageing process.

The wine spent one month in contact with its lees in concrete tanks for soft micro-oxygenation, before being aged for an additional three months in partially new American and French oak barrels. It then spent up to 12 months in these barrels and 6 more months in bottle. The result is an intense, aromatic wine with velvety tannins that showcases the area's unique character and the variety’s fruit-forward nature.

The name Malpastor means "bad shepherd" in Spanish and pays tribute to the region's transition from pastoral land to vineyards, in remembering the shepherds who left their flocks to tend their grapes.

Julio Carreter describes Malpastor as a blend of tradition and innovation that highlights the typicity of Sonsierra. "We combine traditional and modern winemaking techniques to create an elegant wine with fruity notes, good acidity, and a well-integrated oak influence".

La Carbonera is Familia Torres' winemaking project in Rioja Alavesa that focuses on origin and typicity to craft unique wines that showcase the landscape of this historic region. Under the guidance of winemaker Julio Carreter, who has been producing Rioja wines for the family since 2006, La Carbonera manages over 20 hectares of owned vineyards and produces two wines: the village wine Las Pisadas (Vino de Labastida) and Malpastor Crianza.