Priorat: Wine icons from Catalonia

It is thanks to faith that there is viticulture in the Catalan Priorat. After a shepherd boy in the region had an angelic apparition in the village of Poboleda in the 12th century, Carthusian monks appeared on the scene and founded the monastery Priorat de la Cartoixa d'Escaladei (“the priory of the Carthusian monastery of the Ladder of God”) on the spot. Not only did they give the region its name, which it still bears today, but they also introduced viticulture there. The Priorat wines quickly became some of the most famous in Spain. However, after the departure of the monks, the wine-growing region fell into a deep slumber. It was too difficult to cultivate the vineyards with their stony slopes and ancient vines.

It was not until the 1980s that a small group of ambitious winegrowers revived viticulture in Priorat. On the one hand with international grape varieties, but also with long-established grapes. Each of these winegrowers produced real wine icons within a short space of time, which boosted the reputation of Priorat wines. And they did so virtually overnight. Alongside Rioja, Priorat is the only wine-growing region in Spain to have DOCa status (Denominación de Origen Calificada = qualified protected designation of origin). The lynchpin for the quality of the wines are the Llicorella soils and the ancient vines, some of which are still ungrafted, which can be found in some parts of Priorat. It is precisely for this reason that we are now taking a closer look at these soils and the rest of the geography and climate.

Priorat: geography and climate

Priorat's location between the Montsant mountains and the mountain ranges off the coast makes for a very special climate, characterized by plenty of sunshine and very little rainfall. This leads to very low yields per vine, which can be well below 1 kg per plant on older vines. The large temperature difference between day and night also has an enormous influence, which can reach fluctuations of more than 20 °C in the highest areas of the DOCa.

Priorat wines are characterized by the aforementioned Llicorella soil, which gives the wines their typical smoky minerality, which has a very high recognition value. This soil consists of flea-leaved red and dark slate interspersed with particles of quartzite that sparkle very strikingly in the sun. Llicorella reflects the sun and stores its heat. Due to its depth, it can also store water very well.

Priorat: Wine qualities

The two red grape varieties Garnacha and Cariñena in particular thrive on the Llicorella soils. These two grapes are the big stars in Priorat and are often blended together. However, Mazuelo, Merlot, Picapoll negre, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo) are also permitted red grape varieties. Red wines make up the majority of wine production in Priorat. However, there are also rosés and white wines. For the latter, the white grapes Chenin Blanc, Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, Muscat d'Alexandrie, Muscat blanc à petits grains, Pansal, Pedro Ximénez, Picapoll blanca and Viognier are permitted.

In order to make the different qualities clear at a glance, the Priorat Winegrowers' Association divides the vines into four different qualities:

• Los Vinos de Villa DOQ Priorat: Here, the grapes must all come from one of the 12 municipalities that geographically define the Priorat. These municipalities are: Bellmunt del Priorat, Gratallops, el Lloar, la Morera de Montsant, Porrera, Poboleda, Scala Dei, Torroja del Priorat, Vilella Alta and Vilella Baixa as well as Masías de Falset and Solanas del Molar. These Priorat wines are usually very drinkable when young and shine with lots of fruit and a velvety structure.
• Los Vinos de Paraje DOQ Priorat: Here, the grapes come exclusively from one municipality. The wines already have more depth and complexity and are very good food companions.
• Vino de viña clasificada DOQ Priorat: Here, the grapes come exclusively from one municipality. The wines already have more depth and complexity and are very good food companions.
• Gran vino de viña clasificada DOQ Priorat: Welcome to the premier league! The grapes come from clearly defined and particularly high-quality plots in a specific vineyard. The yields are very low and the wines are correspondingly rare. As a rule, the vines here are very old. The wines can mature for an eternity and shine with their dense, complex structure and elegant minerality.

Priorat-Wine: Good to know

Priorat: Wine as an economic factor

There is no question that of all Catalan wines, the Priorat wines are by far the best known. And they have an excellent reputation worldwide. Even now, at a time when red wine consumption is declining globally, Priorat can still hold its own. Although a slight decline in trade volume and trade value can now be observed here too, it is not yet as severe as in other Spanish wine-growing regions, which concentrate primarily on the marketing of red wine.

A big plus is that Priorat does not seem to be following any fast trends. Instead of catering to mass tastes with light red wines that have less alcohol, they remain true to their own style. Yes, Priorat wines generally have a higher alcohol content. However, thanks to careful vinification, this is generally very well integrated, which means that market acceptance is still there. Another advantage is that many Spanish wine icons come from Priorat, which have enhanced the value of the entire region.

Priorat-wines in detail

Your selling points for Priorat-wines

• Wine region with a great reputation, so that the wines hardly need any explanation
• Easy emotional connection with customers thanks to ancient vines, manual labor and special soils
• Wines in every price segment, so that many different customers can be targeted with them
• Many well-known brand names make selling easy