In 2005 I went to Seattle. A lovely city with trams, a stunning market where shopkeepers throw fish and a building that looks like a spaceship on a stick. I had some of the best fish & chips I've ever had in that city and, even though I have only been there once and for less than a day, it became one of my favourite cities in the world.
Near the aforementioned Pikes Place Market was a Starbucks. 'So what?' I hear you cry, 'there is a Starbucks on my way to work', but this was no ordinary Starbucks, this was the original Starbucks. Opened in 1971 by three partners, they opened their coffee shop at 2000 Western Avenue, and then moved it to 1912 Pikes Place where it remains, in its original condition, today. Despite now being a massive coffee chain, producing (lets be honest) mediocre coffee that has mass appeal, it once started small, three guys seeing a customer need for good quality coffee beans and fulfilling it.
One of the things that I love about the wine trade is that there are a lot of small producers whose wines I can explore and enjoy, but it is all too easy to forget the bigger producers. The Penfolds, Villa Marias and Gallos of this world may now be considered mediocre 'supermarket wines' due to their bulk production, but they have mass appeal and, like Starbucks, started small. No matter how much I want to forget big brands and try small growers' wines, as a retailer and wine writer, I have to remember that the punter matters the most. I should continue to re-taste these bulk produced wines regularly to keep on top of what the majority of the public drink, to give a relevance to the wines that most people drink.
One bulk producer I tried recently was Torres from the Penedes region of Spain. Famed for the plastic bull that they put around the neck of their bottles, this producer has a few brands that are absolutely everywhere. Their Vina Sol and Sangre de Toro brands are two and Vina Esmeralda is another, and it was with this wine that I started.
The 2010 Torres Vina Esmeralda may be bulk produced, but is actually quite tasty. I'd not tried it since my Oddbins days nearly a decade ago, but I was surprised that it had a nice bright floral aroma with some slight soapy notes, but a bit of sweet melon as well. The palate was drier than I recalled, with elderflower and a little green apple. Quite tasty. 88pts
Their big brand Sangre de Toro and Vina Sol also have 'big brothers' - distinguished from the nomal wines as they have the word 'Gran' in front of them! The 2010 Gran Vina Sol is a blend of Chardonnay and Parellada and shows a subtle use of oak barrels on the nose, with some peach aromas. The palate has a nice flavour, but is a mess of texures - too high acid, then some wood tannin and a bit oily and flabby. It may say 'Gran' on the label, but is anything but. 80pts. The 2007 Gran Sangre de Toro was totally different in quality, with bright fruit, cherries and a little spice coming off the nose. The palate has a nice balance of earthy fruit, some spice and a bit of dark peppery elements on the finish. 86pts. The blend of Garnacha, Carinena and Syrah all emerge through this wine and it is a decent enough reserva wine, six decades after it was first produced.
Another advantage of big producers is that they have the money to experiment, and their 2010 Natureo is the first alcohol free wine I have tried that has actually been ok. Made from Muscat, it showed a grapey, fresh floral aroma and then some pretty fresh melon and lemon flavours. It was a touch flabby, but you wouldn't object to this wine being poured to you. 82pts
This desire to experiment is not a new thing, as Torres started planting Cabernet Sauvignon in the Penedes region in the end of the 1960's, and their Gran Coronas is their Cabernet dominant brand. A blend of the french varietal and Tempranillo, the 2007 Torres Gran Coronas Reserva had lots of vibrant cherry, a bit of spice and a lovely veggie element to it. It had nice balance, earthier notes and a spicy finish. Quite a tasty wine, although a tiny bit simple. 88pts. They have also ventured outside of their homeland and now have vineyards in other regions including Rioja, Priorat and Ribera del Duero.
Their Rioja is the 2008 Ibericos Crianza. The wine has a very noticeable vanilla element, with lots of chocolate and sweet cherry. The palate is nice and simple, fresh with a touch of earth, nutmeg spice and a bit of darker aniseed at the end. I quite like it, but it is a touch pricy. 89pts. From Ribera del Duero, their 2009 Celeste is called as (according their website) because at 895 metres in altitude, you can "almost touch the stars and shape the clouds". I wonder who came up with that? Anyway, the wine is quite nice, a gutsy blackberry, liquorice and pepper aroma with some cherries and dark brambles with big, powerful tannins. It is a bruiser of a wine, but will settle down with some time in the bottle. 90pts. Their Priorat wine, 2009 Salmos, is one of their more recent explorations, as they started planting vineyards in the region in 1996. Big, juicy fruit with some powerful fruit and a handful of soil thrown in. Dark, pruney with some bilberries and a liquorice element covered with cracked black pepper. 89pts
Finally, I went back to their homeland in Penedes with a single vineyard 2007 Mas la Plana Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has been made for decades, and has - in the past - triumphed over some legendary wines including Chateau Latour in the Paris Wine Olympiad. It was nice, big and gutsy with polished dark fruit, a hint of musky mushroom, redcurrants, brambles and tobacco elements galore. 91pts.
A company like Torres is vital in the wine trade, as Starbucks is within the coffee world. Both provide a range of beverages that show different styles and regional variations and although they may not be the greatest examples available, they are brands people trust and will stay loyal to. Personally, I wouldn't thank you for a Vina Sol or an Iced Caramel Macchiato, but some folk like them, but when I'm next in an airport and I need a coffee, I will certainly go for a Flat White or extra shot Latte. Similarly, when I'm next in a supermarket and need a bottle of wine, I'll know I'm safe with, and would be happy drinking, a bottle of Gran Sangre de Toro.
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