Dossier: Priorat Special Edition

"One could say that in the Priorat, the climate is harsh, life is hard, the grapevine is poor and the wine is extraordinary." Mauricio Wiesenthal, Diccionario Salvat del Vino.

In 1990, the Government of Catalonia published a comprehensive guide to Catalonian wines, which united 1,000 years of local winemaking tradition in a single tome. It made no mention of the Priorat at all. In fact, Priorat wines were often slighted and described as too "raisiny", alcoholic and oxidized by snobbish critics.

Nowadays, the wines of the Priorat garner continuous praise and recognition, both at home and abroad. The region has become a promised land of sorts for the production of high-quality wines. But what exactly happened to bring about this transformation?

In broad terms, two catalysts were responsible for the Priorat "miracle":

  • First of all, the work of visionary wine producers, first and foremost René Barbier, followed by Palacios, Pastrana, J.L. Pérez and finally Miguel Torres, during the latter part of the 20th century. They were willing to take a chance on the Priorat, recognizing its potential for producing wines of great quality, which had been ignored thus far.
  • The decision to cultivate varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah was another factor. In combination with the traditional Garnacha and Cariñena varieties, they redefined the profile of Priorat reds without sacrificing the wine's unique, regional identity.

Understanding the wines of the Priorat is impossible without first understanding their close relationship to nature, their history and the specific environment from which they originate. What follows is a brief look at the characteristics that make the Priorat an exceptional region for producing great wines:

Environment, History and Legend

  • The wine country of the Priorat lies just inland of Tarragona, stretching across jagged mountains and steep valleys dominated by the Montsant mountain range. The colors of the Mediterranean forest, which covers much of the terrain, soften the rugged landscape.
  • Vine-growing in this region dates back to Roman times, but it was medieval monks who brought viticultural glory to the area in the 12th century, which lasted until the disentailment under Mendizábal in 1835 when they were stripped of their land.
  • The Carthusian monastery of Scala Dei (Stairway of God) is a vestige of that era. Its name stems from a peasant's dream in which he saw angels ascending a golden stairway that emerged from the trees and rose into the sky.
  • Nowadays, the area is still sparsely populated. It is mountainous, marked by a rugged, coarse beauty reflected in the magic of its small, medieval villages surrounded by ancient vineyards.

The Cloak of Serè...

  • The climate is mild and experiences dry, northwestern winds (the Serè). The average temperature is about 14ºC, but during the summer the shifts between daytime (40ºC) and nighttime (12ºC) temperatures are very pronounced, which is highly advantageous for the grapevine.

  • Rainfall barely exceeds 400mm per year.
  • The average amount of sunshine in the Priorat comes to 2,700 hours of clear, sunny weather per year. The soil type enhances the ripening power of the sun. The slate rock that covers the ground accumulates the daytime heat and releases it at night.

Vine-growing and Soil: A Complex Relationship

Growing grapes is difficult, hard labor, particularly on rough slopes that make mechanical work impossible.

Grapes are grown on terraces carved out of the hard, slate ground at elevations ranging from 200m to 800m.

  • The soil that forms on the hillsides consists mostly of slate or licorelles dating from the Carboniferous period (300 million years ago!). It is dark, grey-brownish in color and has a texture rich in sand and clay. These characteristics result in swift drainage and a limited water storage capacity, which tends to favor the production of quality wines.
  • The soils are shallow and contain a lot of stones, which makes them very low yielding. This creates a very particular dynamic in terms of water circulation (the roots of the grapevine dig deep into the soil, through the cracks in the slate, to reach fresh groundwater) and limits plant growth. The highly concentrated grapes, however, more than make up for the low yield, resulting in high alcohol content and a unique wine.

The Wines

The quality of Priorat wines, included in the D.O.C. (or Qualified Appellation of Origin) category since 2001, is related to the extreme, physical conditions that the grapes are grown under.

  • The mineral, slate soils are the secret to the wines of the Priorat, where old vines of Garnacha and Cariñena (the most characteristic varieties) grow in the rocky ground, produce low yields and give the very best of themselves: fleshy, intense, warm reds with a solid structure. Big, deep, exuberant wines with a beautiful, dark color.
  • White varieties also thrive here, including Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez, white Garnacha and - to a lesser extent - Chenin Blanc.
  • The sublime, well-matured dessert wines known as rancios, particularly the sweet ones, cannot go unmentioned. Pay particular attention to the Garnachas...

Bodegas Torres and the Priorat

The 52-hectare Porrera Estate, located in the village of the same name, is the birthplace of Salmos and Perpetual, two wines that exemplify the modernity achieved in the Priorat. Contemporary wines that have not forgotten where they come from and still embody the proud origins of their native soil.

  • Salmos harmoniously expresses the perfect balance between power and elegance. Opulent, unctuous yet silky and long in the mouth, it is made from Garnacha, Cariñena and Syrah and aged in French oak barrels for no less than 14 months. Depending on the vintage, they can age for as long as 16 months.
  • The grapes used to make Perpetual grow on Garnacha and Cariñena vines that are almost one hundred years old. It is our special homage to the traditional wines of the Priorat and their exceptional cellaring potential. Perpetual epitomizes character and intensity, traits that evolve during its long repose in new French oak barrels for 18 months, followed by extended bottle aging at our cellar in El Lloar. Upon lifting the glass to our nose, we perceive a pleasantly toasty aroma with notes of woodland undergrowth and lavender. Round, sweet tannins on the palate and a finish that seems to last forever.

Whether a white, red or rosé, the wines of the Priorat stimulate the senses, bring warmth to the soul and take us back to a distant past of incomparable historical and cultural wealth. The shimmer of quartzite in the slate, its “minerality,” keeps us firmly connected to the bare, raw essence of this ancient land.

To paraphrase Hugh Johnson in his monumental and masterful book, "The Story of Wine": "More than a wine, the reds of the Priorat can be considered medicine."