Priorat (wine region)
Priorat ( Catalan , Spanish also Priorato ) is a wine-growing region in the Catalan comarca of the same name . It is located in the steep hills of the Serra de Montsant with suitable Licorella slate soil , about 30 km from the provincial capital Tarragona and Cambrils .
The Priorat is Catalonia's oldest wine-growing region. In the Middle Ages, the region was one of the most important wine-growing areas in Spain (→ see also the article Wine-growing in Spain ). After that, it was quiet for a long time until a significant rise began in 1989, especially through the wines L'Ermita , Clos Erasmus and Finca Dofi , which became known on the international market. In 2001 the priory was raised to the highest Spanish quality level DOCa ( Denominación de Origen Calificada ). Currently, the Priorat and Rioja growing areas are the only two that are allowed to bear this highest designation of origin.
The engines of success are winemakers like Álvaro Palacios and René Barbier. Palacios comes from the Palacios Remondo wine-growing dynasty active in Rioja. He got to know the secrets of the great Bordeaux wines from Christian Moueix in Bordeaux, the "father" of the Pomerol wines from Château Pétrus and Château Trotanoy , and brought his knowledge to the Priorat region, which was new to him.
The DOP Priorat corresponds to an area of 176 km² with 2429 hectares of vineyards (as of July 2013). The region in the middle of the province of Tarragona was named after the priory de la Cartoixa d'Escaladei (in English: "the priory of the Carthusian monastery of the ladder of God") founded in 1163 . Ruins of the Cartoixa d'Escaladei monastery have been preserved, but have been restored for a number of years. The wine-growing region is almost entirely enclosed by the DO Montsant .
The deep, dark cherry-red and concentrated red wines are very alcoholic (13.50 to 15%). They often need several years of bottle aging and can be aged for up to 25 years. 90% of red wines are cultivated and, due to the special terroir and the extremely low yield per hectare (only 5 to 6 hl / ha), they are among the most famous and best in Spain. Notes of ripe fruit and the slate bottom are recognizable.
Authorized red grape varieties : Cariñena , Garnacha Tinta (recommended variety), Garnacha Peluda , Mazuelo (recommended variety), Merlot , Picapoll negre , Pinot Noir , Syrah and Ull de Llebre . Ull de Llebre is another name for the Tempranillo grape variety, which dominates Spain and is favored by the state. The Cariñena and Mazuelo grape varieties are identical. Mazuelo is only the common name in the Rioja region for the Cariñena grape variety (there is also a wine-growing region of the same name with a city that gives it its name).
White grape varieties: Chenin Blanc , Garnacha Blanca , Macabeo , Muscat d'Alexandrie , Muscat blanc à petits grains , Pansal , Pedro Ximénez , Picapoll blanca , Viognier .
The few white wines stand out because of their brilliant, straw-yellow color. The aromas are fruity and are reminiscent of mountain herbs. They appear warm and pleasant on the palate.
The vineyards of the approximately 90 wineries are mostly terraced at an altitude of 150- 1000 m above sea level. NN created on the slopes of the Montsant mountains. The Siurana, a tributary of the Ebro, flows below the mountains .
The following communities are in the DOC Priorat:
Bellmunt del Priorat, El Lloar, El Molar (partially), Falset (partially), Gratallops, La Morera de Montsant, La Vilella Alta, La Vilella Baixa, Poboleda, Porrera, Torroja del Priorat.
The regulatory authority responsible for the priory is the “Consejo Regulador DOCa. Priorat ”in Torroja del Priorat / Tarragona.
literature
- John Radford: The New Spain. A complete guide to contemporary Spanish Wine. Mitchell Beazley, London 1998, ISBN 1-85732-254-1 .
- John Radford: Wine Landscape Spain. Tradition and departure. Hallwag, Bern et al. 1999, ISBN 3-444-10553-3 .
- Jan Read: Spain's Wines 2005/06. 7th, revised, updated edition. Hallwag im Gräfe und Unzer Verlag, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-7742-6962-9 .
- David Black Forest: The wines of Spain. Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rías Baixas, Navarre. Heyne, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-89910-041-7 .
- Jeremy Watson: The new & classical Wines of Spain. Montagud Editores, Barcelona 2002, ISBN 84-7212-087-2 .
Web links
- Literature on the Priorat wine-growing region in the catalog of the German National Library
- detailed tourist information (Catalan, Spanish, English, French)
- Landscapes and viticulture in the priory
- The DOCa Priorat wine region and its wines
- Vinologue Priorat
- The Priorat's wine routes
Individual evidence
- ↑ Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung from October 31, 2010, p. 60: The antithesis to fruit pulp
- ^ Consejo Regulador de la DOP Priorat: Pliego de Condiciones de la Denominación de Origen Protegida Priorat . Ed .: Consorcio de Inspección y Control. Vilafranca del Penedès July 2013, p. 20 .