Spain continues to be an exciting landscape of indigenous grapes, as well as traditional varieties, with a ‘new wave’ of producers reigniting interest in this dynamic, diverse and divided country. If we were to describe our range in three words, we would say ‘small but mighty’. The very old vineyards of both Roberto Olivan at Tentenublo and Luis Arnedo at Bodegas Lacus have been staples of the list for the past 7 years, and around them the selection is growing. Saturnino Cantelapiedra, with their historic roots in Rueda, continue to garner recognition for their superb, pristine Verdejo. Benito Santos in Galicia and Itsas Mendi in the Basque region of Txakolina Bizkaiko have renewed our focus in developing our Spanish selection.
This spring we are delighted to introduce both Celler Masroig and Bodegas Torremoron to the list. We feel these two producers strike the balance between what we look for at Thorman Hunt: the relationship of the families to their vines, along with wine of quality and value. But most importantly, we love their wines!
BODEGAS TORREMORON, Quintanamanvirgo, Ribera del Duero The first vintage of Bodegas Torremoron dates back to 1957, when 57 vineyard owners joined forces to produce a single Bodega wine. Bringing together small plots of old Tinto del Pais (Tempranillo) vines and utilizing the 18th century underground cellars for ageing, they have developed and grown as a community co-operative. Today there are 126 growers with old vines aged between 40 and 110 years old and all manually harvested. The average elevation of the vineyards is 825 metres above sea level, on sandy soils over clay and limestone. Their vineyards are located in the ‘Golden Diamond’ area of Ribera del Duero, producing some of the finest wines in the country. We were drawn to the history of the estate and the quality of production that goes into each wine.
CELLER MASROIG, El Masroig Located in the village of El Masroig, in the southeastern part of the Montsant DO, this community based cooperative was established in 1917 to support and maintain the population (500 people) and their agricultural heritage. Celler Masroig have created a cycle of re-investment for the community, producing both olive oil and a variety of wines from their 400 ha of surrounding land. Local shop keepers and artists benefit from the visiting tourists drawn to the picturesque village, feeding the economy and the population, the end result is the vineyards are still family owned and now managed by a younger generation from the original descendants of the cooperative.
The soils in their area are a blend of compact, calcareous with sedimentary material and reddish clay. There are also outcrops of Llicorella, the siliceous slate layers famous in the Priorat DOC, mixed within some of their vineyards. All of their vines are hand harvested and the majority are old vines of varying ages.
