Vardon Kennett, a fabulous project.

The seed was sown for this new winery in 2012.  Anna Velázquez, Vardon Kennett's winemaker, tells us "Miguel and Mireia Torres convinced their father to make a sparkling wine in the Penedès, taking advantage of the family’s experience making sparkling wines using the traditional method in its Chilean winery".  Mireia Torres (5th generation of the Torres family) is in charge of the technical aspect of the project, and they are very clear about wanting to create a different type of product that "expresses the character of the land and the grape variety".  To this end, they selected the best plots and grape varieties in order to craft a wine that they had conceived from the very beginning.

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the varieties that were finally selected for the base of this sparkling wine, which also includes a small percentage of Xarel.lo, the native Penedes grape. The combination of these varietals (55% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 5% Xarel.lo) creates a perfect balance and gives the wine long ageing potential.

But let's go back to the start of the project. Vardon Kennett... where does the name come from? And why did they choose it?  Winemaker, Anna Velázquez, tells us that "with the name of the winery, we wanted to pay homage to a man who lived and produced wine on the estate, where the winery stands today. Vardon Kennett was an English maritime trader, born on the island of Guernsey in 1781. He fell in love with a Catalan woman and decided to begin a new life with her. Together they settled on an estate in Santa Margarida d'Agulladolç and their remains lie in the Romanesque chapel next to the winery".

The estate where the winery is located includes the original 12th-century chapel, restored in different periods over the years, and containing the mortal remains of Daniel Vardon Kennett.  Next to it stands the main building where the British merchant once lived with his wife. When planning the winery they wanted to preserve the architectural integrity of the buildings as much as possible, but it is obvious that some modifications to the interiors were necessary to accommodate the production of this new sparkling wine.

The Esplendor 2013 is the only wine from this winery so far, and the Torres company is currently focused on its marketing.  For now, they are keeping production low in order to carefully control all aspects of the process, so there are no new wines on the horizon for the time being. "We don’t intend to launch any new wines in the near future, but we’re experimenting with a view to developing new products that will take time to come to fruition," says Anna Velázquez.

Another distinguishing feature of the Vardon Kennett Esplendor is its "wrapping". This sparkling wine is encased in an exclusive bottle with undulating shapes and reliefs reminiscent of the waves of the Mediterranean Sea.  The design is very elegant in accordance with the liquid inside.

Torres’ assessment of the work achieved so far is "very positive. We’re very happy with the project and the reception the wine has received in Spain, especially in Michelin-starred restaurants. We’re gradually introducing it into other markets, always focused on high-end restaurants".

Clearly, this project was born in an era of climate change and this is something that has been taken into account.  "We explored the higher-lying plots that the family had acquired in its search for ways to adapt to climate change. This has allowed us to keep the style fresh and the acidity well-balanced."

The Torres & Earth programme, launched by the Torres family in 2008, has led to the introduction of a series of measures to adapt to climate change, including viticultural techniques that can delay the ripening, the purchase of high-lying land, and research into varieties and clones that are more resistant to high temperatures and drought. Torres is also working on the reduction of CO2 emissions through renewable energy facilities, energy efficiency and the use of environmentally-friendly transport.

And we leave a question hanging in the air... will we see a Torres Family cava in the future? According to Vardon Kennett’s winemaker "it’s a possibility, but at the moment we’re not considering it".