D.O.C. Priorat (Qualified)
The Priorat is a small and unique wine region with black hills in which since eight centuries ago, it is making an intense and deep red wine known for its quality and sophistication
Priorat is the second Spanish wine region (after Rioja) to get the Qualified Designation of Origin, a superior quality reserved exclusively to those DO’s which have reached the highest standards of quality during a long period of time. The Priorat is located in the province of Tarragona, 20 kilometers from the sea and bounded on the south by the Ebro. Currently, the DOC Priorat has only 1,800 hectares of vineyards, a number that can hardly be increased because of the recently created DO Montsant. In this region the soil is covered by slate or Licorella as they are called in the area, and large stones.
GRAPESThe main variety of grape in the Priorat is the Garnacha Tinta, which is found in most old vineyards. Garnacha Peluda, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo), Merlot, Syrah and Pinot Noir are also authorized. The use of the following white varieties are also permitted: Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez, Moscatel de Alejandria, Muscatel de Grano Menudo, Chenin and Xarel.lo. |
HISTORYIts origins date back to the twelfth century, when monks of La Cartuja Scala Dei, founded in 1163, introduced the art of viticulture in this country. According to a legend, the monastery is named after a shepherd who had a dream in which he saw in this place a ladder leading to God. In the late nineteenth century, the phylloxera made great efforts in the vineyards, whose lands were replanted not only with vines, but also with almonds, hazelnuts and olive trees. The disappearance of most of the vines of the region led to a decrease of the population. In the twentieth century, in the ‘50s, the replanting of the vines began in order to re-enlist the quality of wines. The DO was created in 1954. In the decade from 85 to 95 the DO finished with bulk exporation in order to concentrate on creating a high quality bottled wine. |
DENOMINATION OF QUALIFIED ORIGIN (D.O.Ca.)This designation is located in the Tarragona province. It rose to fame last decade after starting to apply new technologies in winemaking. Since then, the vineyards, which in early 1980 French grapes were planted, has produced the new Prioratos. Today they have become one of the best-known wines of Spain and the world. The quality of its wines, both traditional and new, is based on a unique microclimate and soil. It is the mixture of old and new wine which has made the Priorat one of the growing wine areas of Europe. |
LOCATIONSThe Priorat is located in the region with the same name, in the north-central province of Tarragona, which is characterized by red slate floors and black (licorella) floors. The highest points of the mountains, divided by river valleys Siurana and Montsant, reach 1124 meters. Some of its most important regions are: Falset, Torroja del Priorat, Porrera and Gratallops among others. |
VINTAGES
Contact Control Board:
Carrer Major, 2 |
