Wines from Priorat

Priorat is located in the South of Catalonia, within the province of Tarragona. It is nestled in the dip of the mountains, at the foot of Sierra del Monsant and irrigated by the Siuranan River and its tributaries.

The history of the production of the Priorat wine dates back to the beginning of the twelfth century, when the Carthusian monks from the Provence took techniques and knowledge needed for the production of wines from these lands.

King Alfonso I was in charge of finding a suitable place for the monks to settle in Catalonia, with the purpose of establishing a settlement on the lands that he had gained. He sent two men across the territory, when they reached the foot of the Sierra del Monsant they fell in love with its beauty. Additionally, there was a legend that said the highest point in the valley was a ladder where the angels could ascend into heaven.

The men told the King about their discovery; he did not hesitate that it would be an ideal place for the monks so he told them. The Carthusian monks were happy with the proposal and decided to build a monastery there, Scala Dei, in honour of the ladder used by the angels to ascend into heaven and a temple dedicated to Santa María at the place where the tree of this legend is placed.

Throughout the centuries, the monks were responsible for taking care of the vineyards and protect the towns in the area, who were growing them. The vines were gradually extended and the eventually came to occupy virtually every corner of those mountains, grown in little plots but the villagers.

In the late nineteenth century, phylloxera arrived in Priorat, which caused most of the vines to disappear.
It was a big blow and it meant that the fields were replanted with almond, hazelnut and olive trees as an alternative to vineyards. It was not until the 50s, and the twentieth century, when they returned and bet on replanting new vines and tried to remake the great vines that had once been grown in the area.

On 23rd July 1954, Priorat gained the first regulation as a Denomination of Origin, a regulation which would later ratify the first year, 1959, and then May 1975.
A few years later, in the early 80s they began to relaunch Priorat. It all began with René Barbier, until that moment he was unknown, a French vintner who could see the potential of the old Garnacha and Cariñena vines that were planted on the hillside in slate soil and diverse plots.

In 1989, René Barbier convinced 4 friends (Carles Pastrana, Josep-Lluís Pérez, Daphne Glorian and Álvaro Palacios) that Priorat had potential and together they decided to produce a great wine harnessing the great potential that was offered in this denomination.
The following year they decided to produce one each, and therefore this would lead to some great wines that today are known from this denomination like Clos Martinet, Clos Mogador, Clos Erasmus or the famous and coveted L’Ermita de Álvaro Palacios.
Today Priorat is a denomination that is known internationally for its great personality and complexity of its wines.


Character: grape, soil and climate 

Priorat is divided into 12 areas of production. 12 villas with different nuances in their geography and climate.
Bellmunt del Priorat, Scala Dei, Gratallops, El Lloar, La Morera de Montsant, Poboleda, Porrera, Torroja del Priorat, La Vilella Alta, La Vilella Baixa, Masos de Falset and Solanes del Molar.

From these "ví de vil·la" (Priorat wine of the villa) was born. This wine was produced from grapes uniquely grown at the villa, creating a strong link between the grapes and the land on which it grows. Authenticity, identity and terroir.
Priorat is located at the foot of Sierra de Montsant. The main feature is the orography if the large steep slopes called “costers”.

It is pronounced in some places and requires terracing so that they can be cultivated. Some terraces are so narrow that it is difficult to carry out mechanical work, forcing all tasks to be completed, in the vineyard, by hand.  
The soils are another sign of the Denomination of Origin. Shallow, formed mainly by the disintegration of shale soils, in the area they are called “licorellas”, the roots slip between them to search for water and nutrients. This “Licorella” is what gives wines from Priorat those mineral notes, blackboard, so much character.
Priorat is still relatively close to the Mediterranean Sea, the vines are isolate from the sea by the influence from Sierra de Montsant, which also offers protection from cold winds from the north.
It has optimum conditions for grape ripening, marked by the high temperature differences between night and day. In the summer, the maximum daytime temperatures can reach 40 degrees, while at night they can drop to 12 degrees. The summers are long and dry and the cold winters bring frost and hail.
The average temperature throughout the year is around 15 degrees and precipitation is between 400 to 600 liters per square meter.

The main variety in Priorat is the Garnacha Tinta, however they also grow other varieties that are permitted in the denomination: Mazuelo, Garnacha peluda, Tempranillo, Picapoll tinto, Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franco, Pinot noir, Merlot and Syrah. Additionally, they have planted white varieties like Garnacha blanca, Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez, Chenin, Moscatel de Alejandría, Moscatel de grano menudo, Blanquilla, Picapoll Blanco and Viognier.


Main wineries of Priorat

Priorat is formed by numerous wineries, often relatives, which means that the vineyards are very personal with a great craftsmanship and tradition.
Among them are some wineries that have achieved a great impact thanks to the high quality of the wines.
Bodega Álvaro Palacios is one of the most well know, author of one of the myths of the denomination, L´Ermita.
Clos Mogador or Mas Martinet are other wineries that have carved a place among some of the most coveted international wines.
Ferrer Bobet, Terroir al Límit or Celler Vall-Llach are other relatively young wineries, but they have begun to gain better recognition due to the quality of their wines.