Gonfaus, DO Penedès

Since the 1980's, Familia Torres has been recovering ancestral varieties to restore Catalonia's viticultural heritage and combat climate change. Launched by Miguel A. Torres in the early 1980s, the aim is to discover varieties that survived the phylloxera plague that devastated European vineyards in the late 19th century. Today, the fifth generation of the Torres family are firm proponents of this project, with the ambition of making unique, exciting wines based on forgotten varieties. They are little winemaking gems that also stand out for their resistance to drought and high temperatures, making them particularly interesting in light of a warming climate. Of the more than 50 varieties recovered so far, six have proved extremely promising. The Gonfaus grape was rediscovered in 1998 and eventually planted at the Purgatori estate in Les Garrigues, Lleida, where it has adapted exceptionally well. Gonfaus is a very low-yielding grape variety. The wine presents complex aromas of ripe fruit with somewhat spicy undertones and display well integrated acidity, good concentration, and ripe, sweet tannins.