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Torres buys in Sonoma

Published:  23 July, 2008

It's a "rugged, Wild West-like terrain".

Marimar Torres has bought a new 180ha property in the Sonoma Coast, California. The land is seven miles from the Pacific Ocean and only 60 acres are plantable in what Torres describes as the "rugged, Wild West-like terrain". Torres said Pinot Noir is one of her favourite grape varieties and the soil, a blend of sandstone and Goldridge, is ideal for growing Pinot. "The idea of terroir will be very important in these wines and we are looking to express the essence of Pinot Noir," said Torres. "It is the variety which is most terroir-sensitive. The wines which are made using only estate-grown fruit will reflect the personality of the grape and the uniqueness of the site." The vineyard will bear the name Doa Margarita in honour of Torres's mother. The spacing of the vines follows a European norm which Torres said goes against traditional Californian wisdom and, in her opinion, produces higher-quality wines. Refusing to call herself a winemaker, Torres is a strong believer that it is the grape that makes the wine. "Once you have produced the fruit and picked it at the optimum point of maturity, 80% of the work has been done for you. The art is in tending the vines, looking after them as though they are children, and giving each one what it needs. It is a labour of love really. You can listen to grapes and they will tell you what type of wine they want to be," she said. "We leave it up to the grape rather than a winemaker."

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