2018 Fredi Torres Classic Priorat

It's pretty clear Fredi Torres does things his own way. Born in Galicia, Fredi spent most of his young life in Switzerland. There he worked for Nike, studied audio engineering and had a successful career as a house DJ. One bottle of Clos Mogador 1998 changed all that. After phoning René Barbier over and over with no success, Torres just showed up on Barbier's doorstep and began his career in winemaking. Moving from DJ'ing nightclubs to shoveling compost seemed daunting but Fredi has never been afraid of hard work. He's a man who "hates weekends," sleeps 4-5 hours a night and has no television. Single-mindedly focused on his goal of making amazing wine.In 2013, Fredi and his friend and business partner Mark Lecha began Lectores Vini with 6 hectares in the mystical Priorat. The rocky soil and steep vineyards, with elevations between 300 to 600 meters, demand careful thoughtful farming. With the inability to utilize any machinery, everything is done by hand and animals. What they are doing there is magical, pulling off the unusual feat of a Priorat that is easy-drinking as soon as you open the bottle, but will still hold up with age. Mark and Fredi also farm grapes in the surrounding Montsant. The cooler and rainier climate lends itself to wine that is playful, with more fruit, or as Fredi put it "no shiki-miki.