Before introducing you to some great Priorat wineries so that you can plan your Priorat wine trip, there are a few things it makes sense to share by way of an overview of this world-renowned wine region in the Catalunya region of Spain.
History
- ThePriorat region’sviticultural and winemaking history dates back to the 12th century when Carthusian monks,who had traveled toSpainfrom theProvenceregion of France(already well acquainted with viticulture and winemaking practices)introduced viticulture to the area.
- The historic Cartoixa of Scala Dei,a Carthusian monastery built by those same monks,is considered to be the birthplace of viticulture in what is now known as the Priorat DOC(or DOQ in Catalan).DOC stands for Denominación de Origen Calificada,which denotes wines from regions that have consistently exhibited high quality.
Grapes
The most prevalent grapes inPrioratare Carinyena(Carignan)and Garnatxa(Grenache).The grape varieties that are permitted to be grown in the region are:
Red grapes:Grenache,Carignan,Hairy Grenache,Tempranillo,Picpoul,Cabernet Sauvignon,Cabernet Franc,Pinot Noir,Merlot,Syrah
White grapes:Garnacha Blanca,Macabeo,Pedro Ximinez, Chenin Blanc,Muscat of Alexandria,Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains,Xarello,Picpoul
The following eleven Priorat Wineries are among the most established,unique,or renowned in Priorat so this list is a great place to start if you are planning aPriorat wine-tasting trip.
10+Priorat Wineries that have fantastic wines and offer tours
Bodegas Mas Alta
Bodegas Mas Alta is one of the most popularPriorat wineries thanks to the excellent tours the winery offers and the reputation of the vineyard’s wines.Best known for its red wines,Bodegas Mas Alta offers tastings and tours by appointment.The vineyards are farmed organically with more biodynamic practices implemented each year and the winemaking style is focused on producing balanced,structured wines made with native yeasts and aged in concrete and large oak barrels,with a good percentage of the oak the winery,uses being neutral(used multiple times before)rather than a high percentage of new oak barrels.The resulting wines successfully display the vineyard’s unique terroir and while structured,are elegant with soft,silky edges.
What visitors like about this Priorat winery experience:
The interesting tour and the professional,friendly,knowledgeable wine and tour guides.
Telephone: +34 977 054 151
Email: info@bodegasmasalta.com
Web: http: Celler Pasanau is a boutique,family-owned winery located in the La Morera de Montsant area ofPriorat.This area is known for its slate and calcareous gravel soils and higher-elevation vineyards. The winery offers visitors the option to do a small tasting of a few wines(15 Euros)or to opt for a tasting plus lunch at nearby Hotel Balcó del Priorat restaurant(40 Euros). Telephone: +34 977 827 202 Email: cellerpasanau@gmail.com Web: http: Cellar Mas Doix,S.L.is a winery founded in 1998 by Doix and Llagostera families following a tradition started in 1850.Juan Doix’s grandfather obtained the gold and silver medals at the Barcelona Universal Exhibition in 1888 and at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1878.However,it wasn’t until after phylloxera in the 20th century that the vineyard was rejuvenated and the grapes used for fine wine.In 1998 Valenti and Ramon Llagostera,who were old family friends of the Doix family,decided to start their own winery,using the grapes grown by the Doix family(who at the time,was selling their grapes to a local cooperative). What visitors like best about this winery,tasting,and tour experience: The vineyard’s phenomenal wines,the unique experience that the winery offers in their tasting room which offers panoramic views of the vineyards,and their traditional and environmentally friendly practices(horses working the till in the vineyard,solar panel created electricity,etc.).Visitors also appreciate being offered the opportunity to taste some special,older,or higher-end wines during their tasting. Telephone: +34 977 266 618|+34 649 484 297 Email: info@masdoix.com Web: https:
Located in the town of Escaladei, Cellers de Scala Dei is one of the oldest Priorat Wineries, dating back to the 19th century when the families of the current owners bought the lands of Cartoixa de Scala Dei and became the bottling pioneers of wine in Priorat. The facilities are located in historic Carthusian buildings that date back to the 17th century. Scala Dei grows and farms Grenache almost exclusively, due to the unique terroir of their dry, high-elevation vineyards which is excellent for growing Grenache. The winery works with local farmers in nearby regions in Priorat, who grow the old vine Carignan and Grenache Blanc that the winery uses for their Massipa de Scala Dei white and Heretge Scala Dei Carignane. What visitors like best about this winery, tasting, and tour experience: The fascinating history of the building and business, excellent tour, welcoming and knowledgeable guides, and fantastic wines. Telephone: +34 977 827 027 | +34 977 827 173 Email: info@cellersdescaladei.com Web: https://cellersdescaladei.com/ca/ Founded in 1988 by Daphne Glorian, Clos i Terrasses is part of what is known as ‘the new Priorat’. The winery began as a project that Daphne shared with a group of partners who were friends, winemakers, and grape growers from both French and Spanish backgrounds who saw the potential for greatness in Priorat. Tours at Clos i Terrasses are available by appointment only. Telephone: +34 977 839 022 Email: info@closerasmus.com Located in the center of Gratallops, in the heart of the DOQ Priorat, Clos Pachem focuses on crafting elegant wines that allow both the terroir and the grapes to remain at the front and center, rather than a specific winemaking style or oaking regimen. Clos Pachem is a relatively new winery in Priorat, but the passion with which Michel Grupper pursues the elaboration of authentic wines that exude freshness and elegance and highlight the unique site where they are grown has made the winery an instant success. Several of Pachem’s wines have already garnered 95+ points in international publications (not that this is the bar by which to set the success of any winery or wine–we firmly believe that the point system is not at all the system most consumers should be used to assess whether a winery is worth their time or money), and the brand has started to cultivate a passionate, loyal following and customer base. Tastings at Clos Pachem span about one hour and thirty minutes and are led by an expert, local guide. The wine flights normally include three wines: Licos, Pachem, and Camí de la Mina. The fee for tastings is 19€/person. The winery cannot facilitate groups larger than 14 people. In the 19th century, the Barbier family had only a couple of acres of vineyards and a single domain, Le Martinet, in France. When phylloxera hit grapevines in France in the late 1800s, Leon Barbier traveled to Spain in search of grape varieties and vines that were not affected. He ended up founding a winery in Tarragona. Later (in the 1940s) Leon’s son René Barbier and his sons Leon and René founded the family’s first Priorat wine project. It wasn’t until the late 1970’s though, that Clos Mogador was born, founded by René and his family after purchasing land in the Gratallops area of Priorat. Today, the winery is one of more than 23 in the Gratallops area which has acquired a reputation for growing high-quality Priorat DOQ wines. The wine that Clos Mogador is best known for is a red blend composed of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Merlot which consistently receives high scores and sells out quickly each year.e Clos Mogador offers tours and tastings by reservation. Tours include a guided tour of the winery and a tasting of wines that include the winery’s Clos Mogador, Manyetes, and Nelin wines as well as a DO Montsant wine. Tasting experiences are accompanied by bread and olive oil from the estate’s organic olive trees. The tour and tasting experience normally takes around 3 hours. Telephone: +34 977 839 171 Email: closmogador@closmogador.com Web: http://www.closmogador.com/ Ferrer Bobet was born in 2002 from the passion of two friends, Sergi Ferrer-Salat and Raül Bobet, who loved wine and saw the potential of the Priorat region to make truly great wines. The vineyards which are in the Porrera municipality of the Priorat DOQ are known for their slate or Llicorella soils, their steep slopes, high elevation, and cooler temperatures. The winery’s first wines, Grenache and Carignane made from 100+ year-old vines, were released in 2008. The winery grows Grenache, Carignane, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Viognier, and farms organically and sustainably. Tours at Ferrer Bobet are available by reservation and by availability. They offer tours at 12 pm Monday to Friday and on weekends at 11 and 1 pm. The winery closes (and does not offer tours or tastings) during September and October for harvest. Telephone: +34 609 945 532 Email: ifortuny@ferrerbobet.com Web: https://ferrerbobet.com/inicio-ca.htmlCeller Pasanau
The winery farms organically and uses as natural of methods as possible in the cellar including fermenting wines using native yeasts.The focus here is almost exclusively on red wines that have seen at least some time in barrel(the amount of time varies and normally increases as the wines increase in pricepoint)but Celler Pasanau also makes a Viognier.
Celler Mas Doix
Today,the vineyard cultivates 100-120-year-old Carignan and Grenache vines as well as Grenache Blanc,Macabeo,and Pedro Ximenez(for their whites)and produces some of the bestwines in the region.They are focused first on respecting the land and making wines that express the terroir as well as the amazing farming skill and practices of the Doix family.This translates to Mas Doix’s many climate-first business practices–from tilling the vineyards with horses to creating their own energy with solar panels to practicing rainwater collection,composting,and gravity flow methods in the winery to ensure that they are not simply taking from the earth but are also giving back.
Cellers Scala Dei
Clos i Terrasses
Over the past four decades, Clos i Terrasses has become one of the most highly renowned Priorat wineries, with Daphne’s wines consistently earning high scores, accolades, and praise from international critics including several rarely awarded 100-point scores from Wine Advocate.
Clos Pachem
Visit Clos Pachem for a Priorat wine tasting experience:
Clos Mogador
Ferrer Bobet