Costers del Segre, Catalunya (Catalonia Cataluña), SpainPurgatori is a new Torres project in Costers del Segre DO, spearheaded by Miguel Torres Jr. While touring the region, one particular low production vineyard caught his eye, and sparkplugged this endeavour. On the site they found an ancient building adorned with the shield of the Abbey of Monserrat; monks used to send bad monks to this area to grow olives and vineyards. Hence, the wine was named Purgatori. This a blend of cariñena, syrah, garnacha and a small percentage of two ancestral varieties (gonfaus, moneu). This abandoned vineyard is extreme farming: "very, very dry farmed". Thick on the palate and opaque in the glass, with concentrated black fruit, dense leather, faint pipe tobacco, light tar and woven with dried scrubby herbs and dried violet and thorny rock roses. Tannins are ripe and gummy, but for all its heft and weight, the fine acidity is bright enough to provide some lift. The first vintage of this challenging project, and showing young still. Decant now, enjoy with roasted lamb or juicy rib eye, and keep your eye on Purgatori in future vintages.Tasted: 29 April 2016Tasted by: Prices:
Costers del Segre, Catalunya (Catalonia Cataluña), SpainDeep black cherry colour with savoury, black raspberry, black berry, chocolate, black pepper, poultry spice, light vanilla and game aromas. Rich, ripe, round, suave palate with balanced acidity and freshness. Peppery, black berry, prune, smoky, chocolate, licorice, tobacco, orange peel, roast meat and herb flavours. Impressive styling here with plenty of intensity to age gracefully another three to five years. Serve with roasted meats.Tasted: 09 December 2015Tasted by: Prices: