Eight Torres Family wines scored above 90 points in his Spanish wine tasting

The Torres Family’s Reserva Real 2011 stood out as the best wine from the Penedès region, with 97 points out of a possible 100 in the Spanish wine tasting conducted by the veteran American wine journalist and critic James Suckling, published recently at jamessuckling.com. Currently regarded as one of the most influential critics, Suckling described this iconic Penedès wine as “super elegant,” commenting that “the finish is stunning”, in his report The Alluring Freshness of Spain, which includes the results of the extensive tasting of around 1,200 wines.

Reserva Real 2011 is made using Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc grapes from 35-year-old vines planted on the small Les Arnes estate, a llicorella (slate) outcrop in the Alt Penedès region. Produced in limited quantities, the wine spends 18 months aging in new French oak barrels, followed by 24 months of bottle aging, although the quality of its tannins will give it great longevity. 2011 was a particularly dry year, with normal temperatures during August and September, encouraging slow grape ripening.

A further seven Torres Family wines also scored higher than 90 points in the James Suckling tasting: Mas La Plana 2012 (DO Penedès) and Grans Muralles 2010 (DO Conca de Barberà) with 95 points; Perpetual 2014 (DOQ Priorat) and Purgatori 2013 (DO Costers del Segre) with 94 points; and Salmos 2014 (DOQ Priorat) with 93 points. Altos Ibéricos 2012 and Celeste Crianza 2014, produced at Torres Family wineries in Rioja and Ribera del Duero, scored 94 and 92 points, respectively.