>Joan D'Anguera
Officially approved by Madrid in August 2001, this area is no longer known as D.O. Tarragona subzona Falset. And with good reason--Montsant is more similar to Priorat than Tarragona. In fact, it's named after a mountain that lies within Priorat.
While similar to Priorat, there are a few differences. Loose red sands and limestone are found instead of the black slate of Priorat.
The region boasts dry reds that are concentrated, deep red, and with high alcohol content. Along with old vine carignan and grenache, cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot are also planted.
>Avinyó
Penedès is a large viticultural region (DO) with wide-ranging climactic differences. It is home to the Cava Denomination of Origin where 90% of the wines designated “cava” originate.
There are three separate micro climates- The Baix-Penedes lies close to the Mediterranean ocean and it is a hot climate with low-altitude vineyards. The Mitja–Penedès is a higher altitude area (250 meters to 500 meters) where most of the high quality grapes originate. The Alt-Penedès (500 to 850 meters) is the best growing climate due to the cool climate of the higher elevation. Most of the delicate grapes such as Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Cabernet Franc are planted in this sub zone.
The main grapes used in Cava are Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Due to its proximity to France (an hour and half by car) many foreign grapes are being planted and added to the cava blends. In addition there are red still wines being made that are of stunning elegance and quality.
Cava - Cava came about as a designation when the European Union enforced a law that only sparkling wine from France could be called Champagne. Cava (meaning cellar) became the name for a Method-Champenoise product originating in Spain. Cava must go through secondary fermentation in the bottle and must be aged a minimum of six months on the lees before being disgorged and sold to the public. In addition to the three above-mentioned grapes, some foreign grapes have been approved including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
The Priorat is the darling Denominacion of Origin of Spain. This old region, lost in the mountains of Tarragona, contains some of the most unique vineyard sites.
The name Priorat comes from the “priory” or monasteries that were common to this region. The Carthusian Monks who lived in this region made wine for centuries for sacramental purposes. The monks today are no longer around but the tradition of wine making survived. Because of this history many of the vineyards in Priorat are ancient.
The soils vary throughout the region but the main thread that connects them is slate. In the highlands around Gratallops and Torroja the soils are eroded and covered with this slate. Down by the riverbeds, the slate is covered by alluvial soils. This difference in soil types lends diversity to the different wines. This schist, known as licorella, is perfect for vines. Because of the very low rainfall of this region, the slate captures the water saving it for future use. It also provides for excellent drainage forcing the roots to develop a deep root structure at the same time. But the most unique factor is the particular “terruño” that the land imparts on the wines.
In the mid eighties a group of winemakers invested in several plots of lands and jointly began a project to make modern wines from these vineyards. Their experiments proved wildly successful with many following their lead.
The oldest vineyards are mainly Garnacha and Cariñena. There are also white grapes such as Macabeo, Garnacha Blanca and Pedro Ximénez. Foreign varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are also being planted.
The Denomination of Origin does not specifically emphasize the traditional crianza, reserva etc. status of wines. In general, the names of the wines are preceded by the word Clos signifying enclosure or vineyard. They are in fact vineyard-designated wines.
