Torres Mas La Plana Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

The 'black label' vineyards are situated in Pacs del Penedès, close to Vilafranca: 29ha of unirrigated Cabernet Sauvignon on alluvial soils over sand and clay, generally harvested at the end of September. It may not be an indigenous variety, and like so much Cabernet the vineyard suffers badly from trunk disease, yet this is still a superb wine. It's dark in colour, fragrant and enticing on the nose, and svelte, poised and finally melting on the palate. It's less sweet overall than Purgatori, though the fruits have a rounded unction - it has more texture and structural depth as well as refinement. It's very 'solar' and Mediterranean, yet there's a rich fleshiness to this Cabernet that is often missing, for example, in wines from Provence, which tend to hardness and dryness. Don't write off Cabernet in Catalonia just yet! Drink 2018-2030. Score - 94. (Andrew Jefford, decanter.com, June 24, 2018)