Priorat

Overview

Priorat, and its surrounding doughnut Denominacion de Origen (DO) of Monstant, were viticultural backwaters of Spain until the late 1980s. Until then producing dark, brooding red wines mostly shipped off to bolster insipid production in France and other areas of Spain. Five now famous “pioneers” arrived, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, not only to lift the fortunes of the area but to place the wines firmly in the international firmament of the great wines of the world.

Key Grape Varieties

Led by Alvaro Palacios and Rene Barbier, who convinced a group of their friends of the potential of this rugged country, Priorat is planted to old-vine Garnacha and Carinena. They added plantings of international varieties such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon but eventually realised that the original grapes could make the finest wines without help from across the border. Other talented winemakers followed and this amazing terroir - these old restored terrasses - instils in these traditional varieties something unique, something profound and self-assured … spellbinding wines.

Food Pairing

The more powerful and full-bodied Priorats tend to pair beautifully with tasty meats such as beef and lamb, roasted or grilled, smoked duck, suckling pig and charcuterie, whereas the more medium bodied and juicy styles often are better accompanied by pork, veal, or rabbit. Both types are surprisingly delicious with hard cow and sheep milk cheeses, following the main meal.

Key Producers

We offer some of the great Priorat from the following producers: Just click on any of the links below to find them:

• Clos Mogador
• Terroir Al Limit