Priorat: Volcanic Soils & Carthusian Monks

Written by Certified Sommelier Erika Sato with a historic notation by George B. Catallo

Vineyards in Priorat, Photo by Ben Steele on Unsplash — *Vineyards in Priorat, Photo by* *Ben Steele* on *Unsplash*

Looking for a big, meaty wine to go with your steak or a big, flavorful dish?

Lets talk Priorat!

Historic note from George: Monks had a hand in the origins of alcohol across most of Europe, the Catalonian wine region of Priorat is no exception and was founded by Carthusian Monks. Monks at the Scala Dei Monastary introduced viticulture to the area in 1194 and continued to tend to the vineyards for centuries until 1835. During the occupation of these lands by the Carthusians, the Prior of the Scala Dei Monastary was the lord presiding over the lands of the seven surrounding villages, inspiring the name Priorat.

*Scala Dei Monastary, Photo Credit: Consell Regulador DOQ Priorat*

Priorat (pree·ur·at) is a Spanish wine region located just southwest of Barcelona. In contrast to its more famous cousin Rioja, Priorat flies somewhat under the radar. Nevertheless, Priorat is known for producing big, inky, and lush yet balanced wines that have the structure to be aged for quite some time.

Terroir

Priorat can have intensely hot days, contrasted by cool nights — in wine parlance, this is called a large diurnal shift. The heat and sun during the day help the grapes ripen to their fullest potential, and the cool air at night helps them rest and recover. This allows for the production of concentrated, ripe grapes that maintain good acidity. As a result, the region’s winemakers can produce well-balanced wines that are concentrated and full of flavor without being flabby or too high in alcohol.

In addition to the large diurnal shift, the vineyards are often planted in stony, slate-laced soil known as Llicorella. The slopes that are home to these vines can be up to 3000 ft above sea level! These infertile, well-drained soils at high altitudes are also a contributing factor in yielding grapes of this quality. The infertility of these soils is due to volcanic soil being low in organic material.

The Grapes

Red wines are the most famous here, and are comprised primarily of Garnacha and Carinena (better known as Grenache and Carignon in France). There are small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and, Tempranillo planted as well. Tempranillo, the flagship of Rioja, plays a relatively minor role here in Priorat.

*Llicorella soil in Priorat, Photo Credit: Turisme Priorat*

The Wine

Wines from Priorat are tannic, powerful, and lush. Notes of dark fruits and chocolate are balanced by acidity and stony minerality. Unlike Rioja, the wines here are not characterized by the oak aging standards of Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Riserva. Nor, as is typical in Rioja, do they use American oak – rather, French oak is preferred. French oak adds more notes of baking spice (nutmeg, clove, cinnamon) than its American cousin and offers a more subtle oak influence.

All these factors make Priorat wines fairly sought after, by those who know to look, and the price can often reflect that. If you are looking for an affordable alternative, consider Montsant.

Monstant

The vineyards of Montsant almost entirely surround the region of Priorat. These vineyards are often found at a lower elevation and produce softer, perhaps not quite as complex, wines. Despite this, they do have a very similar character to Priorat. One might considered Monstant to be Priorat’s younger sibling. If you like this style of wine, there are some bargains to be found in Montsant!

What am I drinking now?

Black Slate Gratallops Priorat 2019

Purple in color with magenta highlights, this is a big and intense wine. It is named after the central village from which its grapes come in Priorat, Gratallops. The wine shows tons of black fruit (black cherry, plum) with a good sprinkling of jammy strawberry and raspberry.

It is not by any means shy. Lots of tannins and fruit that are balanced by some nice earthy notes as well as good acidity and a long finish.

The longer you let it sit in the glass and open up, the more expressive it gets. This wine is big enough to stand up well to grilled meats, including meats with a red wine reduction.

A blend of Garnacha, Carinena, and Syrah that has been fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks with a portion aged in large format French oak casks.

Ready to drink now but is suitable to let it age for 5-10 years where it can evolve.

Perlat DO Montsant 2018

This wine is big, with lots of dark fruit on the palate: think black cherry and plum with hints of red fruits and chocolate. There are lots of smooth but grippy tannins accented with violet, black pepper, and other spice notes lingering on the palate.

Very young and energetic, while it may benefit from a little age in the bottle, it is already well balanced and ready to drink right now.

Pair with flavorful meals such as steak, beef stroganoff, or chili.

This wine from Monstant is 40% Garnacha, 40% Carinena, and 20% Syrah.