15th May, 2014
by
Lucy Shaw
Cava producer Torelló is to follow Champagne house Dom Pérignon’s lead with the release of a library series from exceptional vintages.
Toni de la Rosa Torelló is to release a library series of his top two Cavas
Using the model of Dom Pérignon Oenothèque, owner Toni de la Rosa Torelló has been putting aside a small amount of the 2004 and 2005 vintages of his top two wines – Gran Torelló and 225, for re-release at a later date.
Speaking to the drinks business during a recent visit to Penedès, de la Rosa Torelló said he had 2,000 bottles of both Gran Torelló Gran Reserva 2004 and 2005 put aside for future re-release.
“This is a new and important step for the Cava category. It’s going to be a very limited edition release and the price will have to reflect the wine’s rarity,” he said.
A 225 library series is in the pipeline
“Both 2004 and 2005 were standout years for Cava and at the time I knew I wanted to hold a certain amount back to see how they aged over time.
“We are unusual in the region in that we only produce Reserva and Gran Reserva Cavas, which gives us the ability to focus entirely on top quality offerings,” he added.
For the sake of continuity, the library series wines will carry the same name as the original wines, but with different branding and packaging to distinguish them.
In addition to a library series of Gran Torelló, de la Rosa also plans to re-release a small amount of the barrel-aged 225 Brut Nature, which takes its name from the size of the 225-litre barrels it rests in for a minimum of 30 months.
In terms of pricing, de la Rosa Torelló predicts that both the Gran Torelló and 225 library series wines will carry a UK retail price of at least €100.
The house is enjoying such success with its magnums and Jeroboams in the on-trade at restaurants such as El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, voted the World’s Best Restaurant last year, that it is increasing its output of both each year.
In the next three years, de la Rosa Torelló told db that a small percentage of the estate’s entire range will be bottled in the Jeroboam format.
He added that the house is keen on entering the new “Single Estate” category proposed this month by the Cava regulatory board.
“It will be a good way to show consumers that we can do quality Cavas on a small scale and will help us to push the quality message, which is really important,” he said.
Keen on innovation, Torelló is releasing a Brut Gran Reserva Cava in the UK this month with a 3D label.