Priorat Wine Region Guide

Winemaking and regional classifications

Like all wine regions, Priorat has a trademark style: voluptuous red blends that often contain a good dollop of Grenache and Carignan. The vast majority of wine in the appellation conforms to this paradigm, regardless of the price tag. However, Priorat has also branched into white wine production, crafting a tiny volume of Vino Rancios (oxidized wines aged for five years in glass demijohns). The sweeter versions can be an excellent substitute for Port when the Stilton makes an appearance. But, the critical mass of wines produced here are dry, vinified in a mixture of stainless steel, concrete, and wood. All the top wines – l’Ermita, Clos Erasmus, Clos Mogador – are matured in a certain percentage of new barrique, although amphorae are making inroads in Priorat, as elsewhere.

Nevertheless, Priorat’s winemakers will always insist that terroir is far more important than what happens in the cellar. The region was one of the first in Spain to devise a codified ranking in the Burgundian mold: 12 distinct villages are classified as Vi de Vilas. The project began in 2009 when Priorat’s top winemakers convinced the ‘Consejo Regulador‘ to undertake a detailed and painstaking study into the region’s different soils and mesoclimates. That lengthy process culminated in the unveiling a new terroir pyramid in 2019; Vinya Classificada and Gran Vinya Classificada are Priorat’s equivalent of Premier/Grand Cru wines.

A concurrent framework classifies wines according to the period of maturation in oak and bottle. Thus, Crianzas should be aged for a minimum of two years before release; six months in oak and the remainder in bottle. Reservas and Gran Reservas, meanwhile, are aged for a minimum of three and five years, respectively; Reservas must spend one year in oak, while the top tier is aged for a minimum of two years in oak and three years in bottle. However, some producers eschew these regulations in favor of a terroir-driven approach.

Geography and terroir

Priorat is a truly captivating destination. The vineyards are situated in northeastern Spain, less than 40km from Tarragona, in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Indeed, centuries of poverty meant that most of the region looks much as it did in the Middle Ages, with unspoiled natural landscapes interrupted by stone farmhouses, small quaint villages, castle complexes like Siurana, and historic churches and chapels.

Meanwhile, mile after mile of hilly terrain reveals terraced vineyards protected from downpours in the fall by the majestic Sierra de Montsant mountain range. Vertigo sufferers note that the relentless relief of Priorat’s landscape means that vineyards must be planted in steep terraces similar to those found in the Douro Valley. The terraces climb the hillsides in neat, curving rows that give the appearance of being drawn onto the land. On the steepest slopes, they are like enormous staircases, creating a pretty picture but back-breaking work for those who have to pick the grapes by hand – machine-harvesting is impossible here. There is also scant rainfall in Priorat – often fewer than 500mm a year – and abundant sunshine; summer temperatures frequently rise above 35°C in July and August. Achieving physiological ripeness in such a climate is almost too easy.

Yet the best of Priorat is always fresh and balanced. The secret behind this precision is the damp, infertile subsoils that greatly aid in preventing hydric stress during the ripening season. Of course, the region is most famous for the llicorella topsoils slate-and-quartzite terroir that is free-draining and can reflect heat into the vine canopy. In addition, vineyards are planted at altitudes ranging from 100m to 700m above sea level, which affords all the benefits of diurnal temperature variation – a significant difference between day and night temperature helps preserve acidity in the wines. Today there is a relatively eclectic palate of varieties grown in the appellation. However, old bush vine Carignan and Grenache yield the best results in Priorat, ripening tiny berries of remarkably concentrated fruit. The resulting wines have no equal in Spain: complex beauties with enough structure and ‘stuffing’ to last a lifetime.

The lowdown

To say that Priorat is overwhelmingly associated with concentrated reds is an understatement. Of course, it’s natural to think of the region as primarily a red wine producer; media hype and critical attention have coalesced around Priorat’s signature export. Yet the global market increasingly covets aromatic whites, a fact which is encouraging more growers to try their luck with Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, and even Chenin Blanc. Local demand has also increased, and quality has been rising, too, as winemakers grapple with a new challenge. Granted, it’s still early days, and the overall volume is very small. But white Priorat can be just as electrifying as the region’s flag-bearer.

Stylistically, Priorat Blancos runs the whole gamut from oak-aged Garnacha Blanca to fresh and fragrant Chenin Blanc – a rival to the Western Cape. But, every bottle has that inimitable stamp of Priorat terroir: a tense minerality that unfolds in the mouth with unbelievable precision and focus. Indeed, the slate-and-quartzite soils of the zone are ideally suited to producing very fine whites – diurnal temperature variation is responsible for their crunchy acidity and beautiful perfume. Tasted blind, you’re fooled into thinking that a particularly good vintage of Hermitage Blanc has graced your palate, yet growers are still finding their feet. It’s official: Priorat has another exciting string to its bow. The future is white.

Priorat gastronomy

Hearty Catalan cuisine is the ideal accompaniment to the potent wines made here. Robust botifarra sausages, a hearty veal and mushroom dish called fricandó, and roasted vegetables served with the tangy “romesco” sauce are a few favorite dishes. No matter what you eat, it will likely be accompanied by the fragrant arbequina olive oil, made from the tiny arbequina olives that grow near the vineyards. In Priorat, bad gastronomy and lazy cooking are not tolerated! On the other hand, seasonal ingredients and traditional recipes are considered sacrosanct.

Guide to Catalan Gastronomy: Read more

History

The region has a winemaking history stretching back to the Middle Ages when monks of the La Cartoixa D’Escaladei (the “Staircase to God” Carthusian monastery) began making wine for Holy Communion. This was the first Carthusian order founded in Spain, and Priorat owes its name to the monastery. The monastery’s leader, called a prior, ruled over his territory (his Priorat) with absolute control. Yet vines had been planted in southern Catalunya centuries before this seminal moment in Priorat’s history. Indeed, the Roman historian Pliny the Elder recorded his great admiration for the wines of Tarragona (a city to the southwest of Barcelona), describing them as “some of the best in the Empire.” Such was the reputation of these venerable vintages that the Emperor himself demanded a steady supply enjoyed in the splendor of ancient Rome.
However, the Western Roman Empire collapsed in the 5th century, paving the way for the Dark Ages. Winegrowing was abandoned as rival civilizations fought for control over Catalunya – a lucrative prize rich in mineral and agricultural wealth. The Vandals, Goths, and Visigoths attempted to establish a permanent base in northeastern Spain but failed. Even the well-trained armies of the Moorish general Tariq (the Moors invaded Spain in 711) could not hold onto Catalunya for more than a few decades. They were defeated by Frankish knights based in neighboring Roussillon – their forces retook Barcelona in 801 after a relatively brief skirmish. By the Middle Ages, Muslims had retreated to central and southern Spain, while the Atlantic regions – Basque Country, Asturias, and Cantabria – were never subject to any discernible Moorish influence.

By the 13th century, Catalunya’s wine industry was back in full swing. Vines had been reintroduced by Benedictine and Cistercian monks from Burgundy and the Rhine; many relocated to Spain following the news that the tomb of Santiago de Compostela had been excavated in Galicia. Their unique knowledge was invaluable in helping to rebuild and popularize Spain’s wine industry; trade with New World colonies generated much wealth in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Then it all fell apart. The phylloxera louse arrived on European soil in the 19th century, destroying Catalunya’s winemaking industry and reducing the area under vine from 5,000 hectares to just over 600. As a result, farmers turned their attention to other crops like almonds and olives. Only in the past few decades have vast swathes of land been devoted to vineyards once again.

The catalyst for Priorat’s revival was the arrival of Álvaro Palacios, René Barbier, and Switzerland’s Daphne Glorian. This trio saw the untapped potential of the region’s llicorella soils and planted Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah in Priorat’s most privileged climats (vineyard sites). The first vintages stunned the critics and electrified buyers: amazingly concentrated reds full of terroir character thanks to the very low yields produced by the region’s harsh conditions. These low yields, in addition to the intense manual labor required to make wines here, ensure that Priorat markets some of the most expensive bottles in Spain.