Catalonia – home of Catalan wines
• Northeast corner of Spain
• Early adopter of new technology to winemaking
• Regional DO covers the entire area of Catalonia
• Powerhouse – produces 20% of Spain”s wine
Priorat (monks) – 1980’s was the genesis of this region
Priorat is one of only two appellations in Spain with the Qualified Designation of Origin (DOCa or DOQ); Rioja is the other. To meet this high standard, the governing body of the appellation needs to have wine-traceability systems in place to ensure the wine’s origin, as well as rigorous quality control systems and standards.
• Unusual terroir – Red and black slate (provides minerality) and mica (reflects light away from vines)
• Typically made from grapes of French origin – grenache, cabernet, merlot, syrah, carignan
What you can expect – moderate acidity, big tannins, relatively high alcohol. These wines are known for fruitiness (grenache), savory (smoked salt), spiced (cinnamon, cardamom, molasses). When you put it all together, the result is a very powerful and complicated wine.