Getting to the Priorat region from Barcelona is an easy drive, and in less than 2 hours you can find yourself in one of the top wine producing regions in Spain. As you leave the main highway and head west past the town of Reus, you will find yourself on smaller rural roads that will wind through the small towns that are now home to the region’s top wine producers.
The terrain of this region is perhaps the secret to what makes the Priorat wines so unique. The region is mountainous, and the vineyards are planted at altitudes between 600 and 3,300 feet. As you look around, you will see vineyards dotting the steep hillsides in neatly planted terraces. The soil in this area is known as llicorella in Catalan, a mineral-rich soil composed of black slate and quartz. Although the soil looks rocky, if you take a handful of it you can literally crush it with your bare hands and reduce it to a pile of dust. It is this unique characteristic of the soil that provides a natural irrigation system that will distribute even small amounts of rainfall to the deep roots of the vines, and contributes to the body and intensity of the wines produced. They also have a higher alcohol content of between 13.5% – 15.5%, versus 10.5% – 11.5% in wines from the Rioja region.
The climate of the region is also a contributing factor to these robust wines. The area enjoys a good amount of sunshine, but like Napa in California, temperatures in the summer can vary from 110 during the day, to a cool 50 degrees at night. The average rainfall is 24 inches per year, but there is hardly any rain at all during the summer months.
Although there are some white wines produced in the region, 96% of the vineyards are planted with red varieties: Garnacha Tinta (38%), Cariñena (25%), Cabernet Sauvignon (14%), Syrah (11%), and Merlot (6%). The primary variety used in Priorat wines is Garnacha Tinta, although many vineyards produce wines that are a blend of Garnacha and Cariñena.
The rules for aging Priorat wines are as follows:
- Crianza – must remain in oak barrels for 6 months and then 18 months in the bottle
- Reserva – must remain in oak barrels for 12 months and then 24 months in the bottle
- Gran Reserva – must remain in oak barrels for 24 months and then 36 months in the bottle
Look for the next posts in our series focusing on Priorat wines, where we will share with you information from our visits to a few of the vineyards in the region.
To read the next post in this series, click here.
To read the first post in this series, click here.
Photo credit: © Christopher Pappas · All rights reserved.
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