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Photos By:: Adil Arora
 Before agreeing to have the young, charming and effervescent Emma Llorens, Brand Ambassador of Bodegas Torres which has a joint venture with Gautam Thapar-Prestige Wines and Spirits, come to present the wines at the DGC, I discreetly checked out her age. The club follows the rules very strictly-and in Delhi the legal drinking age is 25! I was pleased that she made the cut and a full house of over 50 people thoroughly enjoyed the tasting of 6 Torres wines with 6 snacks on Monday, November 17.
Hemispherio Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (Chile), Verdeo 2012 (100% Verdejo from Rueda in western Spain and Gran Viña Sol 2012 (a blend of Chardonnay and 10% Parellada as the whites and Mas Rabell 2012, Artemis Merlot 2012 and Hemispherio Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 carried the Torres torch for red wines at the Club.
The Sauvignon with green tinge was quite aromatic and clean with a light-medium body. A notch better than the San Medin from their Chilean winery, it had a full mouth-feel and a medium long, pleasant finish. It set the stage for an interesting tasting as Emma Llorens and Subhash Arora drew the audience out of their shells very early and they started interacting and asking interesting questions. Verdeo 2012 was a class apart and with its distinct personality, more attractive. It justified the reputation that the Rueda wines with 100% Verdejo have established despite their higher pricing due to smaller vineyards and expensive grapes.
 Fish fingers, cheese balls and the vegetable tempura matched nicely with both the wines and the quick service by the motivated staff of the Delhi Golf Club kept the audience trying out various combinations even as the last white wine-Gran Viña Sol- a Chardonnay with 10% Parellada grapes, was poured. The fact that only a third of the wine has been aged in the used oak barrels has made it a well balanced wine with ample complexity. At the price sold, it would be one of the best value-for-money imported white wines in Delhi.
Besides the wines of the evening Emma talked about the history, background and passion of Torres. She said that Mas de Plana Cabernet Sauvignon had beaten the top Bordeaux wines in a blind tasting in Paris by Gault Millot wine guide in 1979. She was diplomatic enough not to mention the name of those wines. Working for Torres since April 2012 when she joined the wine tourism department, Emma has been trained well for the job- her demeanour, teen looks and charming face can be quite deceptive. Her task as a coordinator of the Jean Leon’s winery and later conducting tastings, wine & food pairings, F&B team trainings at some of the most important restaurants and hotels in Spain, has made her very deft at her job in the export department where she is one of the 12 Brand Ambassadors helping the marketing team. The wine courses she took at the University in her home town Barcelona have also helped her shape up for the current assignment.
 Back to the red wines: Atrium Merlot 2012 was luscious and ripe tannins with a smooth texture with plenty of black cherry fruit charmed the audience. Mas Rabell 2012-a blend of Grenache and Carignan-the staple grapes in South of Rhone, was spicy and fruity enough with plenty of aromas and soft tannins but a warm feel on the palate. The wine was also the favourite of the crowd. Recently added to the club wine list at a mere Rs. 1200, Arora pronounced it to be the best value-for-money wine in the country in any club/restaurant. Emma pointed out that the wine was produced originally to be served to the family and their guests at their farmhouse Mas de Rabell, a few kilometres from the winery. It is marketed only to restaurants and clubs in India to keep the exclusivity. Hemispherio Cabernet Sauvignon was a clean, slightly spicy wine from the Chilean Terroir, that matched the chicken and lamb tikka but the tannins were still harsh and many found the astringency as ‘bitter’. Surprisingly, a couple of whisky drinkers were enamoured by the ‘bitterness.’
Tasting at the Prego
Prego Restaurant at the Westin Gurgaon which saw some of the Torres wines served with dinner on November 13, is a charming restaurant which dishes out Italian cuisine. The area outside the restaurant doubles up as a charming and romantic alfresco dining area when the weather is nice, as indeed it was last Thursday when there was an alfresco dinner for a select few.
 Santa Digna Estelado Rose Brut made from the indigenous grape Pais (also known as Mission) was the welcome drink from Torres’ Chilean stable. Quite refreshing and effervescent, this bubbly had a mixed reception. Some guests were also poured the Verdeo 2012 and perhaps were mesmerised by the white beauty. As expected, the Gran Viña Sol was a hit with all. It was a perfect match with those having the sea-bass with rice cakes as they watched a short film on Torres interspersed with interludes by Emma.
Torres Coronas 2009 with Tempranillo and hint of Cabernet Sauvignon is a staple wine made by Torres for over a hundred years and has been perfected so well that the consistency and the flavours are well defined-almost like a non-vintage Champagne, the yearly climatic conditions notwithstanding. Well rounded tannins and flavours of dark cherries and plums make the slightly spicy, warm wine a welcome condiment with several foods but the Lasagne with truffle scented mushrooms made it a perfect partner with Coronas (the usual bolognaise sauce would have also done the same) and made Chef Emiliano a darling of the crowd, increasing his fan following.
 If there was any doubt about his dexterity, the juicy lamb chops with just the right amount of cooking meat, removed it. The dish also made a heavenly match with the Grans Muralles 2006- the wine made from grapes in the namesake vineyard that means 'high walls', and is surrounded by the same. It is a beautiful vineyard, surrounded by the walls of a 13th century Cistercian monastery, and planted with a range of indigenous Spanish grapes: Monastrell (Mourvedre), Cariñena (Carignan), Garnacha (Grenache) and as Emma stressed, the local varieties Garró and Samsó that made all the difference, making it a unique wine. The roasted pumpkin slice in the dish added synergy to the lamb dish just like the fine Grans Muralles. Their 'ménage a trois' on the palate was remarkable.
‘Almond Diplomatic’ was the dessert to finish off the meal with the floral and sweet muscatel based Floralis which is the work-horse sweet wine of Torres-people love to drink it at such events but don’t budge to order it in the restaurants. Hopefully, it will change sooner or later. Ditto with the Jaime premium brandy, a favourite with the Spaniards and the Latin Americans.
Emma left for Spain with hope to come back-her first visit was as successful for her as her charm and passion for Torres wines exuded. She left leaving an impression that this petite brand ambassador and a fireball will go places within the Torres family.
Photo Gallery at DGC
Subhash Arora |