Profile of Odysseus Winery
Wine Map Priorat
Profile of Priorat Wine Region
The winery is called "Ithaca's Vineyards" (Vinedos de Ithaca) and the truth is Jos Puig is
crazy for Greek mythology. Odysseus has an amazing "Trojan Horse" on the roof of the cellars
and the winery is full of Greek tiles and paraphernalia. Jos's daughter, Silvia, playfully
rolls her eyes at the new Greek paintings of Daphne her dad has just brought over to the wine
lab. Silvia, only in her twenties, is the winemaker of this new wave Priorat winery. We had
the pleasure of visiting Odysseus lately at the wine fair in Falset, the wine capital of
Priorat and Silvia gave us the lay of the land. The Odysseus vineyards and winery are located
at the base of the important hamlet of Gratallops.
The vineyards are on steep slopes, and the Llicorella (slate-like soils unique to Priorat)
here is amazing. It crumbles to the touch and yet looks like rocks, impossible to grow vines
in. Silvia has achieved phenomenal success with her wines in a very short period of time.
This is a testament to her hard work and talent. She literally sleeps in the winery during
vintage, and she can be found poking around the vines, the lab, or the cellars nearly every
day of the week. Jos, her father, goes to the fairs, the tastings, etc. After tasting the
wines of Odysseus, we are keen to help Jos spread the word!
Odysseus makes Garnacha Tinta based reds, as virtually all of the producers in the Priorat DO,
but Odysseus has become a darling of the wine press for their white 100% Garnacha Blanca wine.
The wine is literally the color of gold, tops about 13% alcohol, and even needs to be decanted.
It is full in the mouth, with an almost oily texture, and incredible length for a white wine.
Odysseus also makes a white wine made with Pedro Ximenez, a fascinating grape normally limited
to Sherry country in the south of Spain. In Priorat it is neither fortified nor sweet, but bone
dry with pleasant flavours of raisins and liquorice. The tasting at Odysseus left us with the
impression that Priorat has got to be the most exciting region in Spain for wine at the moment.
To have so many young people working in wine, including a high percentage of female winemakers
(Sarah Perez is another famous, young female winemaker in Priorat), so passionate about wine
and dedicated to taking the region to the highest level, Priorat is certain to not only be a
"fad" but a wine region with a long life.
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Wines
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| Odysseus Red |
Made with a blend of old vine Garnacha Tinta and old vine Cariena, along with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and interestingly, Touriga Nacional (Portuguese varietal). Oak ageing. 13.5% |
| Odysseus Garnacha Blanca |
Flagship wine for this up and coming winery. Made with 100% Garnacha Blanca, the wine is golden in color and has an alcohol content of approx 13.5% |
| OdysseusPedro Ximenez |
Pedro Ximenez is normally seen in Sherry country. Here in Priorat, it makes delicious, bone dry white wines. Decanting suggested. 13% alc. |
| Odysseus Rosado |
Ros wines are not particularly common in Priorat, so another interesting wine. Made with Cariena, Garnacha Tinta , Petit Verdot and Touriga Nacional (Portuguese varietal). 13.5% Very dark in color and light on the palate, super. |
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Address:
Odysseus,
Address: Roquer del Ros, 43737 Gratallops, Tarragona, Spain
Tel: : +34 977 660 080
Fax: : +34 977 668 666
Web: www.vinedosdeithaca.com
Email: mail@vinedosdeithaca.com
Winery Details
D.O.:Priorat
Founded: 1999
Owner: Jos Puig
Winemaker:Silvia Puig
Area under Vine: 35 ha in total, 20 ha own vines
Oak: French and American oak, roughly half and half
Age of Vines:5 years-50 years
Grape Varietals: Varietals: Garnacha Tinta, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Touriga Nacional (highly unusual for Priorat), Cariena, Garnacha Blanca, Pedro Ximenez
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