Old World

Priorat

Spain · Mediterranean

Priorat is the small, rugged Catalan region whose unique licorella (decomposed slate) soils produce some of Spain's most concentrated reds. Old bush-vine Garnacha and Cariñena (Carignan) on near-vertical terraces yield low-cropped, mineral-laced wines with high alcohol and intense black fruit. It is one of only two Spanish regions (with Rioja) to hold the top DOQ classification.

Signature grapes

Defining styles

Famous appellations

  • Priorat DOQ

History

Carthusian monks planted the first vines here in the 12th century. The region nearly died out after phylloxera and rural depopulation. The 1980s revival, led by René Barbier, Álvaro Palacios, and a small group of pioneers in Gratallops, rebuilt Priorat as a luxury category over a single generation. The DOQ tier was awarded in 2009.