Miguel A Torres, stalwart of the Spanish wine industry and an iconic figure on the international wine stage, (pictured above left) whom I’m honoured to call an old friend, was in town for a brief visit after many years.
Sumit Sehgal of Prestige Wines & Spirits (pictured above right of me) organised a very successful Masterclass of Mas La Plana wines led by Mr Torres himself, followed by a walk-around tasting of a range of other Torres white and red wines at Le Cirque at the Leela Palace Hotel in Delhi.
The wine Mr Torres presented to members of the wine and hospitality trade, and journalists, was Mas La Plana. An outstanding wine, that beat top international wines and Bordeaux greats (Ch Latour came 2nd) in a blind tasting organised by the French magazine, Gault-Millau at the 1979 Paris Wine Olympiad.
Known as the Legend in Black, Mas La Plana is Torres’s most famous wine. Over the years this single vineyard (just 29 hectares) wine has received 100 awards.
The best Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are carefully selected and vinified to produce this prestigious label, sought after by connoisseurs around the world. We are fortunate that Prestige Wines gets it on allocation for India.
The vintages we tasted were 2006, 2010 & 2012. My favourite? Mas La Plana 2010, the vintage which was also its 40th year.
Built to last, with soft tannins and subtle flavours true to terroir, it’s good for another 10 to 12 years or more, if properly stored. Best drunk with food (serve at 17 to 18°C) but it’s also great as an aperitif.