Priorat
Published: 01 Sep 04
Priorat is today the undisputed "rock star" wine region of Spain, if not the world. In just a decade or two it's dramatically turned its fortunes around.It's now widely regarded as Spain's
answer to Burg
undy and in 2001 became only the second region (after Rioja) to
obtain the highest possible Spanish quality classification - the Denominacion
de Origen Calificada (DOC).
People are falling over each other to get a toehold in this viticultural goldmine. Top Spanish producer Miguel Torres alone has planted 150 000 vines in the past five years.
However, its celebrated status wasn't always so. Situated in the foothills of the Pyrenees, in the northeast corner of Spain, about 120km from Barcelona, Priorat was a forgotten and neglected region, dominated by forests and hardy sheep and shepherds. In fact, since its vineyard were decimated by phylloxera in the late 19th century, it was so far off the radar that an official book recording 1000 years of Catalonian wines, published in 1990, omitted any mention of Priorat whatsoever!
LOOKING BACK
Priorat (which means "priory") was the feudal domain of the Cathusian Scala Dei Priory until all ecclesiastic properties were privatised in the 19th century. The priory's landholdings were turned over to a few families and the properties became more and more fragmented over time. Olives and nuts were cultivated along with some grapes, which went to local co-operatives, who sold off most of their wine in bulk.
According to the World Atlas of Wine authored by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, Priorat's rise to fame can mostly be attributed to one man, René Barbier, a member of the famous Spanish Barbier wine family whose company now belongs to the Freixenet empire.
In 1979, though only 500ha of mainly Cariñena (Carignan) vineyard had survived the decades of neglect and though most of the wine produced was rustic and very raisiny, Barbier realised the potential the region presented. Its soil, termed llicorellas, is a degraded, dark-coloured slate low in nutrients and with good drainage, which encourages vines to go very deep and prevents over-vigorous growth. What's more, the slate forms a layer that prevents evaporation of what little water is absorbed. And the Montsant massif in the north protects the region from the worst of the dry, cold winds.
Within a decade Barbier and four friends formed five new Clos and released their first wines. The five brands were Clos Erasmus, Clos Dofí (later called Finca Dofí), Clos Martinet, Clos de l'Olbac and Clos Mogador.
But it wasn't all plain sailing. They ran into bureaucratic red tape for planting Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz (they pioneered the varietal in Spain) - none of which were authorised for use in Priorat. Pricing was also a problem as even Spain's most stellar performer, Vega Sicilia Unico, fetched less than 60 Euros - so Priorat's prices were seen as outrageous. Eventually, in 1992, the five pioneers went their separate ways.
Elsewhere in Priorat development was initially on a small scale. It began with vintners severing ties with local co-operatives and going it alone, invariably with fired-up sons fresh out of the Falset school of viticulture and oenology calling the shots. Then big business moved in (Miguel Torres, among others) and the once depressed region experienced a serious injection of economic vigour.
Today the most widely planted grape remains Carignan, although only the oldest vines produce wines of real quality. Most serious Priorat wines are made from Grenache - blended with some of the region's newer plantings: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot.
The winemakers of Priorat have influenced producers all over Spain, working as consultants and spreading the gospel of better quality, lower yields and higher concentration. There's a steady stream of new brands, and a simultaneous refinement of the more established wineries. Still widely regarded as a benchmark for the
quality wines of Priorat is the milestone red 1995 L'Ermita by Alvaro Palacios, awarded 97 points in Wine Spectator.
FACT FILE
Grapes: Carignan (Cariñena) and Grenache (Garnacha) as well as modern Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot.
Soils: Llicorella, a dark brown slate. sprinkled with quartzite. Well drained but with a hard top layer that prevents evaporation and preserves moisture, it provides ideal conditions. What's more, the stony parts accumulate heat during sunny days, which helps to counteract the cold nights.
Climate: Hot and dry with only 500 to 600mm rain annually.
People are falling over each other to get a toehold in this viticultural goldmine. Top Spanish producer Miguel Torres alone has planted 150 000 vines in the past five years.
However, its celebrated status wasn't always so. Situated in the foothills of the Pyrenees, in the northeast corner of Spain, about 120km from Barcelona, Priorat was a forgotten and neglected region, dominated by forests and hardy sheep and shepherds. In fact, since its vineyard were decimated by phylloxera in the late 19th century, it was so far off the radar that an official book recording 1000 years of Catalonian wines, published in 1990, omitted any mention of Priorat whatsoever!
LOOKING BACK
Priorat (which means "priory") was the feudal domain of the Cathusian Scala Dei Priory until all ecclesiastic properties were privatised in the 19th century. The priory's landholdings were turned over to a few families and the properties became more and more fragmented over time. Olives and nuts were cultivated along with some grapes, which went to local co-operatives, who sold off most of their wine in bulk.
According to the World Atlas of Wine authored by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, Priorat's rise to fame can mostly be attributed to one man, René Barbier, a member of the famous Spanish Barbier wine family whose company now belongs to the Freixenet empire.
In 1979, though only 500ha of mainly Cariñena (Carignan) vineyard had survived the decades of neglect and though most of the wine produced was rustic and very raisiny, Barbier realised the potential the region presented. Its soil, termed llicorellas, is a degraded, dark-coloured slate low in nutrients and with good drainage, which encourages vines to go very deep and prevents over-vigorous growth. What's more, the slate forms a layer that prevents evaporation of what little water is absorbed. And the Montsant massif in the north protects the region from the worst of the dry, cold winds.
Within a decade Barbier and four friends formed five new Clos and released their first wines. The five brands were Clos Erasmus, Clos Dofí (later called Finca Dofí), Clos Martinet, Clos de l'Olbac and Clos Mogador.
But it wasn't all plain sailing. They ran into bureaucratic red tape for planting Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz (they pioneered the varietal in Spain) - none of which were authorised for use in Priorat. Pricing was also a problem as even Spain's most stellar performer, Vega Sicilia Unico, fetched less than 60 Euros - so Priorat's prices were seen as outrageous. Eventually, in 1992, the five pioneers went their separate ways.
Elsewhere in Priorat development was initially on a small scale. It began with vintners severing ties with local co-operatives and going it alone, invariably with fired-up sons fresh out of the Falset school of viticulture and oenology calling the shots. Then big business moved in (Miguel Torres, among others) and the once depressed region experienced a serious injection of economic vigour.
Today the most widely planted grape remains Carignan, although only the oldest vines produce wines of real quality. Most serious Priorat wines are made from Grenache - blended with some of the region's newer plantings: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot.
The winemakers of Priorat have influenced producers all over Spain, working as consultants and spreading the gospel of better quality, lower yields and higher concentration. There's a steady stream of new brands, and a simultaneous refinement of the more established wineries. Still widely regarded as a benchmark for the
quality wines of Priorat is the milestone red 1995 L'Ermita by Alvaro Palacios, awarded 97 points in Wine Spectator.
FACT FILE
Grapes: Carignan (Cariñena) and Grenache (Garnacha) as well as modern Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot.
Soils: Llicorella, a dark brown slate. sprinkled with quartzite. Well drained but with a hard top layer that prevents evaporation and preserves moisture, it provides ideal conditions. What's more, the stony parts accumulate heat during sunny days, which helps to counteract the cold nights.
Climate: Hot and dry with only 500 to 600mm rain annually.
