Jordi Llorens

Jordi Llorens farms several hectares of particularly dry terroir and makes some of the most astonishingly fine, refreshing and terroir reflective wines in this part of Spain.

Jordi grew up in this area working amongst the vines and the almond trees. His family have been involved in agriculture for 8 generations and it was this that eventually drew him home from the city. His first vintage making wine for himself was 2008, working with the family vineyards which have only ever been farmed organically. With 15 hectares, Jordi is among the largest growers that we work with.

His vineyard, planted in a natural amphitheatre, sits in an area which can be seriously forbidding in terms of temperature and rainfall. But the wines reflect less the influence of sun or precipitation than the extraordinary soil, which here has among the highest limestone content of anywhere in Europe.

The wines are incredibly fine, with balanced, delicious ripeness and palate-staining flavour yet also with a very distinct weightlessness. Both whites and reds are aromatic, with bright acidity and great fluidity on the palate. It gives one the impression that this really is special terroir, wholly capable of delivering delicious, delicately-structured wines despite the obvious climatic conditions, and it's no wonder that grape vines have been planted here for many hundreds of years.

Jordi's style of vinification is one of precision. He ferments, largely, in stainless steel and elevage takes place in stainless, amphora and wood, depending on the cuvee. Jordi employs temperature control for several of the cuvees and the resulting wines are very focussed, expressive and primary. The white wines are very lightly macerated and the reds are fermented gently, in most cases, as whole bunches. The fruit in the resulting wines is very delicious.

In addition to his own label, Jordi is also part of the wonderful Can-Vi project. Founded alongside Cristina Vaqué and Jordi Solé, the company produces excellent 250ml cans of white, red and sparkling wine grown and made in Blancafort.

Blancafort, Catalonia

 

Information on previous wines

  • Cabernet, garnacha and syrah, grown on limestone and raised in amphora.

    2021 A cooler year, resulting in ripe yet elegant fruit with a suggestion of sweetness from the cabernet, direct acidity and a very fine structure.

    2020 A shorter growing season resulting in a wine with less blue varietal cabernet fruit and more red fruit, and indeed the lightest vintage in weight and structure imported so far. Refreshing, with a saline mid-palate and well-judged stalks on the back palate.

    2019 Resting

    2018 A ripe, concentrated year. The final wine is sleek, with a kiss of residual sugar. Bottled under crown seal.

    2017 A classic year. Medium bodied.

    2016 A frost year, with all fruit being from secondary growth. Unique in structure — lighter, with more austere tannin and high acidity.

  • Garnacha, cabernet and macabeu, grown on limestone. This is the only wine that Jordi makes that is raised in barrel.

    2020 A sublime vintage for this wine. Pure, resolved tannins and wonderfully precise structure.

    2019 A very long growing season resulting in palate-staining red fruit. A year in barrel and a further year in bottle before release has resulted in a more resolved tannic structure with extra glossiness and suppleness.

  • Syrah and garnacha grown on limestone and raised in amphora.

    2021 A cooler year, resulting in ripe but elegant red fruit, direct acidity and a fine structure.

    2020 A shorter growing season, resulting in a lighter rendition. Less deeply varietal than previous years, with a crisp shade of red fruit and a little extra freshness, salinity and savouriness. Light to medium-bodied with a savoury back-palate.

    2017 Richer, with riper and more varietal expression of fruit.

  • Direct-press macabeu grown on limestone, steeped in spent syrah and garnacha skins, resulting in a rosé wine which sees elevage in amphora.

    2021 A cooler year, resulting in an elegant rosé wine with lower alcohol, gentle sappiness from the skins and a kiss of salinity.

  • Old-vine parellada and macabeu, grown on limestone and raised in amphora.

    2021 A cooler year resulting in a restrained and elegant style of fruit with lower alcohol, but still with ripe acidity and a kiss of salinity.

    2020 A very low-yielding year due to mildew. Restrained and more mineral than usual, with a finer, more delicate style of stone fruit, and some salinity. 11% ABV.

  • Old-vine parellada, grown on limestone and raised in amphora after four days of maceration.

    2021 A cooler year, resulting in a very direct, delicate, saline and low-alcohol white wine.

  • 2018 A celebratory cuvee to mark 11 years since Jordi returned home to run the farm. Old-vine cabernet and younger-vine trepat, raised in amphora. Classically styled and medium bodied.

  • 2019 Old-vine macabeu and moscatell, grown on calcereous clay. Fine and detailed with just a light suggestion of moscatell fruit — otherwise saline and gastronomic.

  • 2017 Jordi’s collaboration wine with two friends in Conca de Barbera. Parellada, albarino and grenache blanc, on skins for four days and pressed to amphora for elevage. An excellent quality year with depth and acidity. Very stable.

  • 250ml cans made in collaboration with Jordi Solé and Cristina Vaqué, grown on limestone in Blancafort.

    2019 Tinto Old-vine trepat and young-vine garnacha tinto macerated for ten days with elevage taking place in clay amphoras. Crystal clear fruit expression, with pure, glossy red fruit from the grenache and tension, freshness and length from the trepat. Savoury nuance and complexity from the stalks.

    2019 Blanc Macabeu and parellada from 20-year-old vines, lightly macerated with six months of elevage taking place in clay amphoras. Sleek, fine and resolved with clarity of fruit and delicacy on the palate.

    2019 Ancestral Macabeu and parellada grown on limestone. Single fermentation completed in 250ml cans. Plush, pulpy and pure, with freshness and salinity.