Forcada is an ancient white grape variety indigenous to the Penedes region of northeastern Spain, near Barcelona. Penedes is well known for the production of the sparkling wine, Cava. Forcada, along with many other Spanish grape varieties, were left in the wild following the phylloxera infestation in the early 20th century. Once the infestation had passed, only Tempranillo and Garnacha were replanted. The abandoned varieties would’ve been forgotten about if it wasn’t for the efforts of Familia Torres, the wine company created by the legendary winemaker Miguel Torres, who helped revolutionize winemaking in Spain. The Torres family has been on a several decades long mission to identify these old vines by growing them from plant cells (rather than the cuttings traditionally used), transplanting them in the vineyard, waiting a few years until they produce a crop then determining their viability for making quality wines. The entire process can take nearly 20 years. The initial project was started in the 1980s because there was curiosity regarding the potential for disease resistance since these vines had outsmarted the sneaky phylloxera louse. It became even more important as climate change started to alter growing climates, making some areas less hospitable to once thriving varieties. Information on Forcada is quite limited, even the grape bible didn’t publish any information on it in the last edition. Familia Torres seems to be writing their own chapter on the grape through trial and error in the vineyard and the cellar.
This week, I drank a 2020 Familia Torres Forcada from Penedes DO. There were about 140 cases of this wine produced but the number of plantings are increasing. This wine was a pale yellow with brassy green highlights. The nose has pronounced aromas of honeysuckle, ripe grapefruit, meyer lemon pith, crisp green apple, ripe pear, and wet stone. This dry wine was fuller bodied than I’d expected but it balanced the high level of acidity. It contained a moderate level of alcohol that felt higher than listed. On the palate, the constant saline character is met with flashes of honeysuckle, honey dew melon, slightly under ripe pineapple, and wet stone. This wine lingered on the palate before slowly fading. The producer says it can age in the bottle for over 5 years but it’s drinking well now. This fascinating and unique wine would pair well with seafood, like sushi or crab cakes, as well as a cheese board with rind and aged cheeses. While writing this, I snacked on roasted garlic crackers, aged cheddar, and snack cubes of parmesan, all of which were delicious with this wine!
-TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 