Mas La Plana: Six Vintages of a Storied Spanish Cabernet

Miguel Torres Maczassek is a focused man, sniffing and sipping his wine like a scientist at work. Now CEO of the Torres Group, Miguel gives the impression that he would’ve excelled in pretty much any profession. (Indeed, he did well for himself in the perfume business before becoming marketing director for Torres). But Miguel is truly in his element as he discusses his family’s top wine, Mas La Plana. 

Mas La Plana and delicious small plates from Jaleo... what a pairing!

I recently had the pleasure of tasting six vintages of Mas La Plana with Miguel and some others at Jaleo restaurant in Washington, DC. We tasted the 1977, 1983, 1996, 2003, 2007 and 2009 vintages. We then moved on to a variety of delicious small plates, continuing to sip and discuss the six different wines.

A single estate 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Penedès appellation of eastern Spain, the Torres family has been producing this wine since 1970. In 1966, at a time when Spanish Cabernet was practically unheard of, Miguel’s father planted Cabernet vines in the gravel and limestone soils of Mas La Plana. At a Paris Wine Olympiad blind tasting in 1979 this inaugural vintage of Mas La Plana bested some of Bordeaux’s biggest names. Torres had its foot in the door of world-class Cabernet.

The Torres family has been making wine in Penedès for almost 150 years. If you’ve ever been in a liquor store, you recognize their Sangre de Toro wines, complete with a little plastic bull adorned to the neck. While large-scale Catalunya blends may have been Torres’ bread and butter for decades, Mas La Plana is a whole different deal.

As evidenced by this tasting, Mas La Plana has evolved quite a bit over the decades, following a common storyline of creeping alcohol content and increased time in new French oak. Miguel admits Mas La Plana has taken on a more polished and approachable style over the years, achieved by longer skin contact and more new oak. While I was smitten with the elegance and bright acidity of the older vintages, I found a lot to love in the more recent vintages, all of which maintain pure fruit and the earthy essence of their region.

My notes are below the fold…

 

1977 Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Coronas Reserva Mas La Plana - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès
An auburn-ruby color in the glass. Showing lots of maturity on the nose, but still lots of life: olive, menthol, bacon, some dried cherry and a whiff of pickle juice. While fine and soft, the tannins are still present, perhaps overcome a bit by the bright acidity. Light and silky but very complex, with flavors of black licorice, olive, cedar and charcoal. The fruit is almost completely faded, but the other flavors are so good that I hardly miss the fruit. Lots of length and complexity on the finish. This wine paired very well with a cone of salmon topped with trout roe. “It’s still alive,” said Miguel Torres. I agree. While all the other vintages are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the ’77 contains 10% Cabernet Franc. Aged six months in new American oak and 12 months in old casks. 12.7% alcohol. (91 points)

1983 Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Coronas Reserva Mas La Plana - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès
A vibrant ruby-cherry color in the glass. The nose is incredibly complex and full of nuance. I get plum, red currants, anise, beef jerky, pepper, and the aromas just keep going, shifting and evolving over the course of the evening. Fine tannins and lots of acid provide backbone for the black cherry and red currant fruit, which is still alive and well. The earth, olive, tobacco and cedar flavors are woven together well, and minerality underlines it all. Brisk, pure and so focused. Miguel said ’83 was the best vintage of the ’80s, and, given this epic effort, I believe him. Aged for six months in new American and French oak, then a year in old casks. 12.5% alcohol. (95 points)

1996 Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Coronas Reserva Mas La Plana - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès
A rich ruby-purple color. Darker and younger on the nose, with plum, black cherry, mocha, earth and pepper. Over the course of the evening the aromas opened up more and more to show earthy and spicy notes. Firm tannins combine with medium acid (noticeably less acid than the previous two vintages). This wine is more about purity of fruit, with its plum sauce and fig paste approach, backed up by cedar, tobacco leaf and freshly ground coffee. Very well-structured with a toasty finish. I’d love to try this vintage again in another five years. Aged 18 months in new French oak. 13.5% alcohol. (91 points)

2003 Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon (Black Label) Mas La Plana - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès
Dark purple color. Rich and bold on the nose, with lots of plum, fig and blackberry, also notes of espresso. On the palate, this wine shows the heat of the 2003 vintage with its glycerin-like mouthfeel. The fig and blackberry fruit is rich, but I'm impressed with the strength of the olive, earth and tobacco flavors. Long, velvety finish. Lower acid keeps me from getting too excited about this wine, but it’s still beautiful stuff. Aged 18 months in new French oak. 14% alcohol. (90 points)

2007 Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon (Black Label) Mas La Plana - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès
Deep purple color. A bit compact on the nose, but with time the pure cherry, dark plum, rose petal and coffee aromas got more expressive. Firm, solid tannins but enough acid for balance. Earth, coffee, pencil shavings and graphite notes play well against the rich blackberry and plum fruit. Long finish with notes of mineral and cedar. Intense now, this Cabernet clearly needs some time to unravel. Aged 18 months in new French oak. 14.5% alcohol. (91 points)

2009 Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon (Black Label) Mas La Plana - Spain, Catalunya, Penedès
Intense purple color in the glass. Lots of stuff going on with the nose: fresh blackberries and raspberries, currants, rose petals, rich loam and some pepper. Pure and plush on the palate, but tons of structure. Acid beams throughout. Plum, fig and blackberry fruit is complemented by espresso, potting soil, graphite and toasted oak. Long, pure finish. This is such a young wine. While I loved it, if I had some in the cellar I wouldn’t touch it for another five-to-eight years. Aged 18 months in new French oak. 14.5% alcohol. (92 points)

If you’d like more information about Mas La Plana, Miguel Torres talks about the vineyard in this video clip. Cheers!

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist.