Gran Coronas Etiqueta Negra 1975 Gran Reserva

Wine: Gran Coronas Etiqueta Negra 1975 Gran Reserva

Winery: Miguel Torres (Vilafranca del Penedès, Barcelona)
Appellation / Region: D.O. Penedès
Varietals: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
ABV: 13.5%
Winemaking

Grapes sourced exclusively from a single vineyard. Fermented in stainless steel tanks under controlled temperatures. Initial aging in new American and French oak barrels for 6 months. After racking, the wine continued its maturation in second- or third-fill 225-liter oak barrels for an additional 12 months until bottling in January 1978. 

 

Tasting Notes
 

Appearance: Brownish-ruby with medium depth; somewhat turbid and grainy with sediment at the base. It shows reddish and orange highlights with a broad copper rim that merges almost indistinguishably with the meniscus.

 

Nose: Initial reductive aromas—free of off-odors or major flaws, but in need of time. It was allowed to rest for two hours in the bottle and an additional 30 minutes in a decanter. It presents as soft and autumnal, with aromas of aged leather, leaf litter, damp earth, humus, and black truffle. A subtle vegetal, "bell pepper" hint in the background loses intensity and eventually disappears with aeration. Mature and slightly liqueur-like, featuring glimpses of macerated black fruit and an intense toasted backdrop of charcoal, hearth, and cigar ash.

 

Palate: Very Bordeaux-like in style—refined, elegant, and savory. It offers sensations of ripe black fruit, spices, and high-quality bitter nuances. A patina of seasoned and exotic woods (cedar, toasted cocoa) is layered over melted, spectacularly polished tannins and more than sufficient acidity to sustain the ensemble at a high level. Immensely pleasurable to drink. A perfectly rounded red without a single hard edge; to be enjoyed over the coming years. It is best not to cellar it for much longer. What magnificent wines these 1970s Gran Coronas were, and how masterfully they have evolved!

 

Personal Score: 92
Tasting Group Score: 92

Historical Context & Background: 

For the Torres family, Bordeaux wines were the ultimate paradigm of excellence in fine winemaking. This led them to champion Bordeaux varietals for the creation of their most emblematic label: Torres Gran Coronas Etiqueta Negra Gran Reserva. Between 1965 and 1966, the Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard was planted at the Mas La Plana estate.

 

The inaugural vintage, the 1970 Etiqueta Negra, triumphed at the historic 1979 Wine Olympics, a premier global competition organized in Paris by renowned gastronomes Henri Gault and Christian Millau. For the first time, a non-French wine outperformed the most prestigious Cabernet Sauvignons of the Médoc, including icons such as Château Latour 1970, Château Pichon-Lalande 1964, and even the legendary Château La Mission Haut Brion 1961.

 

In the mid-1980s, the wine adopted its current name, Torres Mas La Plana, transitioning to a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon monovarietal. This shift marked the end of the use of old-vine Tempranillo and Cariñena, as well as Cabernet Franc, in the final blend.

 

The 1975 Vintage:
The 1975 harvest was officially rated as Very Good (VG) for both white and red wines by the Regulatory Council of the D.O. Penedès.