Over the past several years, priorat generally has produced very good wines, with the 2005 and 2010 vintages earning outstanding accolades with near perfect grape growing conditions. Obac costers del siurana, mas doix one of spains few wine estates. The small region is nestled in rugged terrain in the northeastern part of the country, just south of catalan. Today, priorat is thought to be one of the top wineproducing regions in spain, and the wines are highly sought after and can be expensive. Spains most loved red wine regions, beautiful priorat cult wine collectors. Over the past fifteen years, since priorat was designated a denomination of quality origin doq, priorat has imported advice, improved quality, and wrapped its head around wine culture and gastronomic tourism. In search of the best wines from priorat wine folly. Ensconced among picturesque mountains and hills, it is considered by many to be home to spains most elite red wines. We were on a media trip to learn more about these two great wine areas. The wineries of the priorat region open their doors to you. This tiny but renowned red winemaking region located just south of barcelona, lets explore what makes this region so unique, and what to look for when seeking quality. Christopher cannan, with his export orientated wine shipping company, europvin, based in bordeaux, had already discovered the potential of the priorat back in 1983 when he was given a bottle of the 1974 vintage priorat from the scala dei winery by a small retailer in san fransisco. It is a all slate, layers upon layers and said to give priorat wines their defining characteristic.
Priorats vineyard classification spanish wine lover. A few elements that contribute to its uniqueness include the usage of a very surprising varietal for producing its fine wines. The landscape is abrupt and challenging, or in the words of the catalan writer, josep pla, cataclismatic. Priorat is mostly known for its red wines, but they also produce fine white wines. The region is just now gaining prominence for soughtafter garnachabased wines. Fullbodied red and white wines from some of the greatest and highest rated wineries in all of spain served in exclusive cellars with a gourmet lunch of fresh, local delicacies. When you envision priorat on a map, think of it as a donut hole. Located in catalonia just south of barcelona, priorat produces one of the two highest quality doca classifications in spain. Find out what makes priorats wines so unique, and what to look for when seeking out a great bottle.
Priorat and montsant wine regions spanish wine country. Wines like alvaro palacios lhermita, clos erasmus clos erasmus, ferrer bobets vinyes velles and mas doix doix are all excellent wines that score top ratings in international and spanish wine magazines. Today, priorat wines are among the most sought after in spain and even at top restaurants around the world. Priorat is a small, dynamic wine region in catalonia, northeastern spain, whose intense, fullbodied red wines have shot to fame in the past few decades. Its produced with grapes from 80 different vineyards in eight villages and therefore is a regional wine. These days everyone wants to put a positive spin on each years vintage, wanting, rightly or. The priorat wines are one of the finest in spain, and they make up a good part of the exportation of spanish wines. The priorat is a wine region with a small but lovinglycrafted output, which is why we focus on distinctly intimate visits and activities to help visitors to understand the unique qualities of the areas wines and olive oils. The wine comes from priorat, that wild, rugged mountain region of catalunya in north east spain. Wine tour to priorat barcelona secrets private tour guide. Priorat is where alvaro palacios lermita, rene barbiers clos mogador and mas. Priorat the priorat wine regions is one of spains best. Here you will find a guide on different wine regions and wine routes in spain for your interest in travelling and spanish wine. We work with fantastic hotels, restaurants and the best wineries in spain to make sure that all of the holidays and tours we offer are of a very high quality.
The blend of tradition and modernity, nature and agriculture, depth and crispness, give their villages and their wines made primarily from the grenache and carignan grape. The entire region accounts for roughly 1,600 hectares 3,954 acres, while the other red wine dominant doca, rioja, has more than 60,000 hectares 148,260 acres. Priorat is an agricultural region with great history and wealth. Priorat is a doq, which is short for a rare style of wine region known to produce wines of unmatched quality. James beard awardwinning author and wine communicator of the year. The priorat today is one of the worlds most prestigious wine regions. Of course it helps if youre starting off with grapes that are in as beautiful a state as those of 2015. Apr 11, 2016 in search of the best wines from priorat. Priorato, or priorat, is one of the standout spanish wine regions, with an extraordinary leap in wine quality, reputation and price over the 1990s. According to oiv international organisation of vine and wine, spain was the thrid biggest wine producer in the world in 2017 after italy and france. Southwest of barcelona in the hills that rise up from the mediterranean, priorat like much of spain has a long legacy of wine production.
Discovering the wonderful wines of spains priorat wine. Priorat is a small but renowned red winemaking region located just south of barcelona, spain. The distinctive slateandquartzite soil, an abundance of sunshine and an energetic group of young winemakers have earned the region a reputation as one of spain s most innovative. Priorat lodging when we visited the proirat and monstant wine regions of spain in october of 20, we were fortunate to be with a group of wine bloggers. The region of priorat widely uses the grape variety of grenache or locally known as garnacha for producing some very interesting wines. Bodegas mas alta artigas priorat 2014 from priorat, spain mineral, black and red fruit aromas, with menthol and balsamic notes. The doq priorat and do montsant are major players on the wine scene in catalonia and in europe. Learn about priorat wine, common tasting notes, where the region is and more. Priorat, in the province of tarragona south of barcelona, is a wine region with approximately 100 wineries. However, priorat is large enough and not all itineraries include falset although priorats capital is beautiful, who. Its rich, ripe reds are the epitome of southern european wine, and are exceptional in three key regards. Its comparatively unknown outside of spain, but the wine region of priorat is among spain s oldest producers.
Expand content minimize content tiny and entirely composed of craggy, jagged and deeply terraced vineyards, priorat is a catalan wine producing region that was virtually abandoned until the early 1990s. The soil is what makes the two wine regions very different. Our door is always open to wine lovers and seekers after excellence. Mar 17, 2020 a typical priorat slate mountain, planted without terraces, and a hermitage on top for good measure. With a local guide at your side, learn what makes the wine so special and, of course, sample some of the regions wares. Priorat wineries tour from barcelona, including wine. The wine area is the only one with rioja that has been named the fine doc instead of do as the rest of the wine regions of spain are called, and many of the wine houses have received praise from spanish and international wine magazines. A wine map of the wine regions in catalonia spain ribera del duero wine map.
Map of wines in ribera del duero, spain sherry wine map. Priorat is spains most elite wine region and often referred to as spains burgundy. Located in the northeastern of spain, priorat has been completely transformed from a forgotten land into a top quality wine production district. It also goes much further than riojas new village and single. Thankfully, in the late 1980s a group of energetic, young winemakers revitalized this remote and rugged doq denominacio dorigen qualificada. We stayed here for one night and the location could not be more convenient if you are visiting priorat wine region. Known as priorat in catalan and priorato in spanish, this phenomenal wine region is making some of the nations most exciting and most expensive wines.
First, they are among very few world class wines to be. Although once associated with mass production, the region has recently undergone a transformation to become firmly established on the map of france wine regions. Learn how to get to priorat, plus our recommendations for how to get around priorat once youre there. The other day i compared priorat 2001s from a bynomeansexhaustive 32 different producers, and i had heard of fewer than a third of them. Only time will allow us to see how the wines from this harvest emerge but chins are indeed up while eyes are. Sip your way around priorat, the exclusive catalan wine region that produces some of spains most expensive and delicious wine. The area is characterised by its unique terroir of black slate and quartz soil known as llicorella. It is intended as an international centre of wine research and development, ensuring the region continues to stay ahead of the wine competition. Priorat is one of only two appellations in spain with the qualified designation of origin doca or doq. Priorat is a small wine region located in the northeast of spain, just south of barcelona.
Wine map of spain showing do getariako txakolina to the east of bilbao click for a larger view non watermarked pdf versions are available by agreement. What makes the superpremium wine region of priorat stand out aesthetically in spain is the vineyards are located within a pristinely beautiful national park. These wineries would like to share their excellent wines with you whilst showing you where they are making wines for the future. Producing wine since the 12th century, only in the past few decades has priorat become a legend of spanish winemaking. This famous red wine region is outside of barcelona, spain and. Priorat, however, is miniscule in terms of production. A regional wine guide to catalonias priorat region including 114 wineries and 380 winesthe clean, elemental yet sharp practicality of this guide is ingen. The vineyards grow near the olive trees and the colors of the landscape are unusual and spectacular. Priorat wine region wine tourism in the priorat wine region.
Expand content minimize content tiny and entirely composed of craggy, jagged and deeply terraced vineyards, priorat is a catalan wineproducing region that was virtually abandoned until the early 1990s. To meet this high standard, the governing body of the appellation needs to have winetraceability systems in place to ensure the wines origin, as well as rigorous quality control systems and standards. See also ferrans report on the rest of spain and tomorrows compilation of tasting notes on spain and portugal. Sep 15, 2008 learn about the wines of montsant and priorat spain by tom from. Rambling across softly sloping vinewrapped hills, 40km west of tarragona, catalonias priorat region famously produces some of spains most prestigious and most expensive wines under the priorat denominacio dorigen qualificada doq. Find out what makes priorats wines so unique, and what to look for when seeking out a great. And few wines have a story as fascinating as those produced in the world famous region of priorat, in catalonia. The scenery in fact resembles the douro valley for its steep terraced vineyards. The priorat regional tourist office has organised visiting hours in montsant and priorat wineries. Within spain, there are only two regions that hold the top quality designation for wine doca, and priorat is one of them rioja is the other and fifteen times larger in size.
Wonderful small hotel in beautiful village in priorat wine. Official spain priorat dopdoq regulatory document pdf about madeline puckette. Geographically the montsant wine region surrounds the priorat wine region. This small wine appellation, with 1,700 hectares of vines and just over 60 bodegas, lies to the west of the province of tarragona in catalonia. Speaking in the 2016 documentary priorat, winemaker rene barbier says. Wine map of spain the spanish wine regions and vineyards. Moreover, the priorat region is close to the world heritage site of the poblet monastery, so if you decide to visit the area don. The hotel is situated in the quaint town of gratallops, which the wine capital of the region there are about a dozen of bodegas within walking distance so you dont even need to hire a car to visit some of them for a wine tasting appointments essential. Its comparatively unknown outside of spain, but the wine region of priorat is among spains oldest producers. Those of us who have an obsession for bold red wines gravitate to places like priorat. The remote, rocky hills of the priorat wine region are the birthplace of intense, minerally reds that are consider to be spain s most elite wines. Priorat is located about 100 miles to the south from barcelona. When going to priorat restaurants, there are some that are ready to serve meals every day of the week.
It surrounds priorat like a donut and part of it has exactly the same soil types but it was kept out of the do when the lines were drawn. Private, all access visit and tasting in three of priorats exclusive cellars paired with a genuine culinary experience. Get to know the regions and the wines of spain on this illustrated map. A science park of wine technology opened in 2009 in falset, the heart of the priorat wine growing area. The entire priorat region is surrounded by another wine region called do montsant see map right, courtesy paisatges del vi. The transformation of the priorat wine region awbr academy of.
Firsttaste guide to priorat spanish wine opening a bottle. Had a few wines from moldova the other day but no pics. Languedocroussillon is arguably the most underrated wine region in france, especially since it accounts for more than a third of the countrys entire wine output. The classic priorat wine is made from oldvine garnacha and carinena, and has concentrated aromas of licorice, tar and brandied cherries. Mouth filling, ripe fruit with unctuous tannins and elegant depth. Priorat is the catalan word, the one that appears most often on wine labels, while the castilian equivalent is priorato. Official spain priorat dopdoq regulatory document pdf.
The doc priorat or wine appellation the doq priorat covers a small region of fewer than 20,000 hectares, of which only 1,600 hectares are planted with vines. If you can make a wine in priorat, it will be a good wine. Its charged with red fruit and acidity, an explosion of freshness, followed up by fullon tannins that feel as vibrant as the fruit. You almost need a magnifying glass to find priorat on a map of spain.
It primarily produces powerful red wines, which came to international attention in the 1990s. The vineyards of spain spread accross 967 000 hectares with an appellation system described below. Priorat, spain the winery priorat natur was founded in 1997, by xavier buil, his wife anna cuadrat, and their partner, under the philosophy of making handcrafted local priorat products and selling them around the. On this spanish wine regions map, youll find all the principal wine regions such.
Feb 02, 2016 priorat is a small, dynamic wine region in catalonia, northeastern spain, whose intense, fullbodied red wines have shot to fame in the past few decades. I cofounded wine folly to help people learn about wine. Priorat is rugged and hilly, with towns populated by as few as 25, and often no more than 500, inhabitants, and connected by serpentine roads that can be as dizzying as. Priorat is spains most fashionable wine region in certain circles at least. It is one of only two wine regions in spain to qualify as doca, the highest qualification. You can build your own wine tour in spain itinerary spain has the biggest vineyard surface in the world. The wine region of priorat is a very unique wine producing region in spain.
With its hot climate and rocky slate and quartz soil, priorat is an ideal place to make topquality wine. A classic village restaurant setting in the town of gratallops, within priorat, spain. Some good values for the same grapes and some of the same producers. Priorat is a denominacio dorigen qualificada doq for catalan wines produced in the priorat. It is one of only two wine regions in spain to qualify as doca, the highest qualification level for a wine region according to spanish wine regulations, alongside rioja doca. Practical itinerary for visiting the priorat wine region. Wine map of spain, priorat is the tiny yellow speck near barcelona click for a larger view.