Built on 150 years of history and tradition, Familia Torres continues to be one of the most renowned wine producers in Spain. Torres family roots date back even further, residing in the Penedès region for over 300 years. Today, Familia Torres produce quality wine from 9 DOs across Spain showcasing the most esteemed terroirs that embody tradition and innovation. Miguel Torres Maczassek, the fifth generation of the family, is at the helm and upholds the family values of respect, cooperation, excellence, vitality and curiosity.
In Catalonia, the winery produces the Familia Torres collection, showcasing their premiere wines in the region they’ve inhabited for centuries. Extending further, Familia Torres produce the Properties collection, which showcases some of Spain’s most well-known wine regions. With reliable quality and a true sense of history, Torres is a pillar of the wine community, and uses their reputation to advocate for environmental initiative, social responsibility, and fair trade as a way of ensuring the continuity of wine production. With Torres, wine is an essential part of community, environment, and tradition, and is, above all, a celebration of life.
In 2020, Familia Torres Winery is celebrating their 150th anniversary, but the family’s roots extend even farther than that. The first mention of the Torres wine family was in 1557, but the winery wasn’t established until 1870, when the profits from the family shipping company made it possible to enter the commercial wine space.
Miguel Torres Vendrell founded the company, and since then, the family has passed on the winery (and the name Miguel) steadfastly from generation to generation. They hit a setback when the winery was bombed during the Spanish civil war, but Miguel Torres i Carbó rebuilt, and began the bottling and exporting of the wine.
In 1991, Miguel A. Torres took the reigns, and remains president today. He made remarkable strides in environmental advocacy, social responsibility, fair trade, and research and innovation. Since 2012, Miguel Torres Maczassek has been at the helm, and has continued his father’s work, while also embarking on his own projects. Recognized year after year and Drinks Internationals’ “World’s Most Admired Wine Brand,” the story of Familia Torres is a known and respected one throughout Spain and the world.
Having been in the region for five generations, the Torres family has seen first hand the effects of climate change on the land, and are committed to protecting it for future generations. In 2008, they established the Torres & Earth Project – a commitment to reduce CO2 emissions across their business by 30% by 2020 – a goal which they accomplished! Their programs include reforestation, forest management, and biological waste water treatment and purification, along with rainwater storage, carbon capture and reuse, biomass boiling, solar panels, electric vehicles, and geothermal heating and cooling. They also have an ongoing search for plots of land that have the potential to withstand changes in climate. With the remarkable success of the project, Familia Torres decided to escalate their goals, and are now aiming to cut emissions by 80% by 2050!
Their dedication to preserving the environment extends beyond their own projects, and in 2019 they co-founded the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) with California-based Jackson Family wines. The steadily growing organization promotes an industry-wide decrease in carbon emissions, and is open to wineries across the world. Membership indicates a commitment to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, and aim to be climate positive (removing greenhouse gas from the air) by 2050.
In addition to their commitment to sustainability, they also convey their respect for the land by searching out and cultivating ancestral and indigenous varietals. In keeping with their values of tradition and innovation, they use these ancient grapes to create new and exciting, very limited production wines.
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Freemark Abbey Sycamore Cabernet Sauvignon is made from
Wine Profile: Opaque dark ruby describes the color of this Rutherford wine. Black currant and Boysenberry notes dominate the aroma, with dark chocolate truffle, cocoa powder, Worcestershire sauce, cremini mushrooms and forest floor adding to the complexity. The oak adds the ideal amount of complexity with aromatic cedar, cinnamon and clove. The wine has great depth of black fruit flavor, with a strong expression of sweet black cherry. This full-bodied cabernet sauvignon has resolved tannins yet firm structure, with good acidity. Lovely long finish!
Primary Vineyard: Sycamore Vineyard—Rutherford (100%): Small 24-acre vineyard located about 1.2 miles south of Bosche, right up against the Mayacamas Range, this vineyard has a rich clay loam. Sycamore Vineyard produces small berries reminiscent of mountain fruit berries, with intense extract of color and flavor. The color is very dark early in the fermentation, with flavors of black currant and black berry with a forest floor complexity.
Review:
From a vineyard closer to the Mayacamas Mountains and first made in 1980, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards checks in as 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It spent 27 months in 66% new French. It offers more black fruits, earth, tobacco, cedar, and gravelly minerality as well as a touch more burly, masculine style on the palate. Nevertheless, it's still beautifully balanced, has considerable elegance, and a great finish.
-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards gives up powerful crème de cassis, dark chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries and baked plums scents with hints of lavender, camphor, pencil shavings and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with rich, black fruits plus a beautiful perfumed undercurrent, framed by finely grained tannins and lovely freshness, finishing with a mineral lift. 1,989 cases were made.
-Wine Advocate 95 Points
Herbal, with characteristics of peppercorn, cedar and pencil shavings, this beautiful wine is also dusty and mineral-driven, with demure flavors of red and black currant. Full bodied and well structured, it shows an underlying softness that should continue to soften in the cellar. Enjoy best from 2026–2031.
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
Johann Michel St. Joseph Rouge is made from 100 percent Syrah.
The parcel is quite small : only 0.37 hectares (0.9 acre) hence the very limited production: 700 bottles.
The vines are only 4 years old. They are planted at 120 meters in altitude and at a density of 4400 vines per hectare.
100% destemmed.
Aged in French Oak barrel for 12 months.
Malolactic fermentation in oak barrels and aging on the lees for 12-18 months in barrels (2 to 4 year old barrels)
The average age of the vines is 25 years.
Yield: 33 hl/ha