Priorat has been making serious wine since Roman ‘vinitors’ started carving terraces into the Spanish landscape, but its history as a DOQ (DOC) is much shorter. To be precise, Priorat only received this status in 2000. The advantage to being able to write your own rules in the 21st century is that you have a lot of templates to choose from, and for Priorat—a rugged and remote region southwest of Barcelona—the pyramid scheme of Burgundy has proven ideal.
Winemakers, some without a family tradition or ancestral lands (‘Generation Zero,’ as they refer to themselves) have taken to heart the idea that if Priorat wines are to find a place of quality on the world’s stage, the region’s unique slate-laden soils and severe elevations have to form the heart of their identity.
This week, we’ll feature a trio of talented and ambitious producers who are carrying forward a torch that they lit themselves—ambassadors from a dynamic region whose evolution we can watch in real time.
‘Prior’ Priorat: A region that often took style cues from Rioja, whose heavily-oaked, Tempranillo-based wines are so oaked that its traditional classification system based on oak aging times. But Priorat, being David to Rioja’s Goliath (Priorat has fewer than five thousand acres planted to vines—Rioja has 162,000) cannot begin to compete in terms of output. For many years, Priorat struggled to find a marketable identity, and its isolation and terrains merely added to the issues; one producer describes a prolonged impoverishment that lasted until the 1990s.
It was around this time that a new generation of winemakers began to revive old vineyards, rediscover family plots or—recognizing the potential for a quality revolution—come from elsewhere to settle in and earn a reputation. Says José Mas of Costers del Priorat: “Some people work in wine because they have family vineyards. I don’t have any inherited obligation to work here; Priorat is just my passion.”
The diversity of the landscape makes ‘recipe’ wines impossible. Largely built around Garnatxa, with Carinyena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot taking up supporting roles, the high elevation and reddish-black slate produce wines with a remarkable freshness that is light years removed from the oaked dinosaurs of the not-so-distant past. According to Valentí Llagostera of Mas Doix, “These are wake-up wines, not sofa wines.”
Since quantity eludes it, in order to capitalize on the strengths of Priorat as a mecca for quality, a new system of classification was called for. Álvaro Palacios took the lead, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Regulatory Council, he spearheaded a drive to establish a tiered system based on the Burgundian model, the single most ambitious reclassification system in the recent history.
‘Els Noms de la Terra’, or ‘The Names of the Land,’ is a remarkable transplant. Based on Burgundy’s pyramid of quality rules, Priorat became (in 2007) the first Spanish region to introduce ‘village’ level wines while categorizing based on the quality of the vineyard and the age of the vines. Each category has stringent requirements of vineyard ownership, varietal percentages, maximum yields, age of vines and their traceability. The Consejo Regulador has created the following categories:
As in Burgundy, the base of the pyramid is regional wines that can be produced with grapes grown anywhere in the appellation; they are labelled DOQ (DOC) Priorat. Since the groundbreaking 2007 vintage, Vi de Vila (village wine) is restricted to 12 villages approved by the Consejo. 2017 saw the introduction of the Vi de Paratge (459 named sites similar to Burgundian climats or lieux-dits) and single-vineyard wines which will be labelled either as Vinya Classificada (similar to Premier Cru) or Gran Vinya Classificada (the equivalent of a Grand Cru).
Nothing will explain or demystify the glory that is Priorat wine, but such a system has done wonders for our understanding of it; there is nothing quite like classification to break down a complicated region into bite-sized chunks—or, in this case, sips.
Porrera, linked to the valley of the river Cortiella, may have fewer than 500 residents, but it boasts 25 working wineries. Its sun-kissed vineyards are sheltered from the north winds by the Molló mountains and the rugged terrain, which also produces PDO Siurana olive oil.
Sharing a commitment to old vineyard plots and biodynamic techniques, Ester Nin and Carles Ortiz began with 10 acres of vineyards in Finca les Planetes, where Carles restored old Garnatxa and Carinyena plantings. Ester—an enologist from the University of Barcelona—then bought a tiny three-acre parcel Garnatxa Negra, Garnatxa Peluda and Carinyena in Mas d’En Caçador, the famed vineyard on steepest hillside slopes between Porrera and Gratallops.
Since both Carles and Ester were early proponents of biodynamics in the Priorat, and since both lived in Porrera (and both were young and available), the stars aligned and Família Nin-Ortiz was born.
Says Ester, “We farm using exclusively organic materials, biodynamic infusions and our own compost. All the work is manual. Weeding is done by hand, and the soils are plowed by mules to revitalize their soils. Harvesting, always by hand, commences early when pH levels are balanced by ripe fruit.”
Once in the cellar (completed in 2012), Carles walks us through the process: “The fruit is carefully sorted to remove any overripe grapes and the bunches partially destemmed, then chilled for 24-48 hours to prevent oxidation. This begins the winemaking process. Fermentations occur spontaneously. Família Nin-Ortiz’s goal is to produce elegant wines, so extraction is also natural, occurring without aggressive manipulation of the cap. Aging takes place primarily in neutral vessels so the purity of the site can be preserved.”
Família Nin-Ortiz ‘Partida Les Planetes, Garnatxes’, 2021 Priorat-Porrera ($44)
100% Garnatxa harvested from the ten-acre Finca Les Planetes Porrera plot. Four weeks of maceration are followed by fermentation on wild yeasts and seven months of maturation with 10% in amphorae, resulting in a deep, floral-spicy, terroir-driven wine with a rock-solid, flinty schist-granite structure. 2700 bottles produced.
Família Nin-Ortiz, 2021 ‘Partida Les Planetes Clàssic’, 2021 Priorat-Porrera ($51)
From young Garnatxa and Carinyena vines (10 – 20 years old) grown in Finca Les Planetes, one of the northeast-facing vineyards that Carles Ortiz purchased and renovated. Grapes are hand-harvested, partially destemmed, fermented on indigenous yeasts and aged in foudre and amphorae. The freshness and brightness of fruit from the Planetes site is a testament to the relatively cooler, northeast exposure of the site as well as the hands-off approach that Carles and Ester take in the cellar. The nose shows beautiful aromas of black cherry, plum and elderberry with hints of herbs, lavender, sage and balsam. 14,660 bottles produced.
Família Nin-Ortiz – Nit de Nin, 2021 Priorat-Porrera ‘Paratge Mas d’En Caçador – Velles Vinyes’ ($196)
A blend of Garnatxa, Garnatxa Peluda and Carinyena. At 2000 feet, Mas d’En Caçador is one of the highest plots in the Priorat and its north-facing slopes are pure blue and black schist soil. The vines are between 70 and 110 years old, and the wine shows multiple layers of sour cherry woven through hints of green plum, black olive and dark forest berries and a touch of cinnamon with plenty of balsamic savoriness on a long finish.
Família Nin-Ortiz, 2021 Priorat-Porrera ‘Paratge La Coma d’en Romeu – Velles Vinyes’ ($207)
100% Garnatxa. Coma d’en Romeu is a warm, south-facing vineyard with an extremely steep slope where 70 to 100-year-old vines struggle on pure shale soil. Spontaneous fermentation of whole-bunches takes place in open wooden vats. Further aging takes place in 225 to 600-liter barrels. 2015 was the first vintage of this monovarietal which shows blackberry paste, fig jam, sweet smoke and mocha notes with lots of fragrant spices on the finish.
Família Nin-Ortiz, 2021 Priorat-Porrera ‘Paratge La Rodeda – Velles Vinyes’ ($283)
100% Garnatxa Peluda, a.k.a. ‘Hairy Grenache’—so named for the furry leaves that evolved to combat drought. The grapes are sourced from a single-vineyard called ‘Tros de la Tereisna i Daniel,’ a speck of a plot, smaller than an acre, where the vines are 80 years old and grow on black slate; these vines are certified as ‘Velles Vinyes’ by the DOQ (DOC) Priorat. Peluda wines tend to be lower in alcohol than other varieties of Garnatxa with moderate acidity; they are lighter on the palate with the potential for rapid oxidation. The wine is pleasantly meaty, fresh and slightly tannic with aromas of raspberry preserves and star anise. 304 bottles made.
The northern part of the municipality of Falset is made up of land whose geology and climate were considered suitable to produce wines with the characteristics of the wines of Priorat; the largest portion is known as ‘Masos’ based on the number of farms and farm cottages where people live during the harvest.
Núria Garrote i Esteve and winemaker Blai Ferré first collaborated on a wine project in 2013. Both natives of the area, Blai fell in love with winemaking while a teenager working the fields with one of Priorat’s leading producers, Álvaro Palacios. He then purchased a handful of acres, much of it former vineyard land that had been abandoned, and set to work planting drought-adapted rootstocks and adopting a style of under-extraction to better nurture these wines so that the dazzling minerality of Priorat’s smoky schist can shine through.
Clos Petitona (Little Ona) is produced from a single plot located in the village of Falset, and is typical of the extreme slopes of crumbled black slate (llicorella in Català), terraced against the ravages of time. It was planted in 1949 with equal parts Garnatxa Negra and Garnatxa Peluda vines, with a south-east orientation and a surface area just under four acres. Due to the age of the vines, yields are extremely low, giving the wines superb concentration and structure.
Clos Petitona, 2019 Priorat-Masos de Falset ($77)
Despite a terrifying heatwave in late June that literally burnt grapes and damaged many Carinyena vines, 2019 in Priorat has been rated ‘excellent.’ Drought led to extremely low yields and high levels of concentration and a local producer summarized the season as ‘short, healthy, and quick, with the sorting table being used as a mere conveyor belt.’
Like the plot itself, Petitona is equal parts traditional Catalan Garnatxa Negra and Garnatxa Peluda. Perfumed rather than floral, the wine shows an earthen nose with baking spice and especially, a touch of licorice-ash, allowing the llicorella soil to live up to its name. 650 bottles produced.
Ona, 2021 Priorat ($23)
2021 produced exceptionally fresh-tasting wines in the Priorat temperatures and rainfall aligned with the average and the crop was generous, although ripening was slightly delayed. Garnatxa was the star of the 2021 growing season; Carinyena, also a late-ripening variety, lacked the warmer conditions necessary to reach full phenolic maturity. Old vines with lower yields performed better.
A blend of 40% Garnatxa, 40% Syrah and 20% Carinyena 20% grown on Blai Ferré’s 12 acres; the wine is aged in stainless steel and shows ripe cherry and plum misted in smokiness, spice with wet-stone minerality on the finish. About 3000 bottles were produced.
Overlooking the Siurana river, Gratallops lies in the heart of a licorella basin, irrigated on the either side by the Montsant river and the Siurana, with an average elevation above one thousand feet. A wisp of a village with about 250 inhabitants, it is a quaint and quiet stopover whose main strip includes a bakery, a grocery store and a ceramic workshop.
In 1979, Isabelle and René Barbier settled in this gentle region and set out to rediscover the forgotten vines of the region. They named the estate Clos Mogador in homage to Élisabeth Barbier, René Barbier’s aunt and author of ‘Les Gens de Mogador.’
The establishment of this estate can be credited with having jumpstarted the Priorat revolution.
“At Clos Mogador, a young French woman and a Catalan man have found the place of our dreams,” Barbier waxes: “A two-step between the dancer and the sensitivity and determination of a poetic philosopher. She artfully designs the future while I attempt to squeeze out the earth’s abundance from fruit.”
On a slightly more practical note he says, “We rely on use of indigenous varieties, especially Garnatxa and Carinyena for Clos Mogador and Manyetes wines. For fermentations, yeasts are natural obtained by spontaneous fermentation and the starter process using ‘pied de cuve’ from the bottom of the tank. Sulfur is dosed to a minimum to maintain a balance in microorganisms; fermentations are slow and the macerations long. The aging takes place according to our criteria, in cement tanks, old foudres, barrels, Dama-Juanas glass or ceramic jars.”
Isabelle adds, “It’s about giving more freedom to wine in its evolution. It is not that we seek perfection, but to express ‘the Priorat’ and to produce wines designed for aging but with sufficient complexity in their youth.”
Clos Mogador, 2016 Priorat-Gratallops ‘Manyetes’ ($99)
100% Carinyena. According to René Barbier: “Manyetes is the name of a vineyard in Gratallops, a daring venture where vines can barely survive given the poor soil of the region, the intense sunlight and the bleak exposure. The vines are quite literally at the extreme of survival, however, this is exactly what gives rise to the principal essence of Priorat!”
The wine displays intense aromas of Bing cherries and summery raspberries combined with mineral notes of flint, and botanical hints of eucalyptus, tobacco and coffee beans. 4700 bottles made.
Notebook …
With apologies to Professor Higgins, the rain in Spain is not only dodging the plains, it’s playing havoc up and down the entire Mediterranean coast, extending from Spain to North Africa and Sicily as well. Last year, this persistent drought ranked among the ten most costly climate disasters in the world, and in real time, Catalunya is undergoing the worst drought in a century, with water reserves at 16% of capacity. Hotels are filling swimming pools with seawater and those whose livelihoods are tied to agriculture are wondering what the intensity of this summer will bring; last year, fruit growers threw out entire crops in order to use their diminishing water supplies to save their trees. Even traditionally dry-farmed industries like olive production and wine growing are crippled by these severe heat waves, and farmers who irrigate have it even worse, since by law, they are the first ones to relinquish water rights.
Adaptation to the climate crisis is happening throughout Catalunya; there is no other choice. But to date, much of it improvised and tends to take place only when the worst has already happened. Like the old Inuit following the caribou, modern winemakers are being forced to follow the thermometer, and this has led to an exploration of vineyard space in regions that were once too cold to produce reliable harvests.
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Posted on 2024.10.17 in France, Priorat DOQ, Wine-Aid Packages