Where the Wine Is As Fiercely Independent As Its People
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CATALONIA Where the wine is as fiercely independent as its people. BY MICHAEL SCHACHNER ast fall, four out of five Catalan voters cast ballots to secede called Cariñena or Samsó) among red grapes, and Garnacha Blanca and from Spain. While it may have rattled politicians in Madrid, Xarel-lo among white grapes. it was a just straw poll, not an official referendum on inde- There is also Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Lpendence. The Catalonian provinces of Barcelona, Tarragona, Trepat planted throughout Catalonia, as well as the white varieties Lleida and Girona remain, at least for now, part of Spain. Parellada and Macabeo (Viura in Rioja), which are primarily used for But in the same way that Catalans have a culture that differs great- the production of Cava, Spain’s premier sparkling wine. ly from their Castilian, Galician or Andalusian countrymen, Catalonian Catalonian wines tend to be full-bodied and high in alcohol, due to wines have little in common with those from the rest of Spain. the grape varieties and the region’s warm weather conditions. But Cata- Catalonia’s 10 denominated wine regions focus mostly on so-called lonia’s best wines also feature intense minerality derived from vineyards Mediterranean grape varieties, primarily Garnacha and Carignan (also planted on granite, chalk and especially, fractured slate soils. WINEMAG.COM | 55 Priorat Clos Mogador 2012. This Garnacha- and 95 Carignan-led blend from the village of A quarter-century ago, the Priorat, locat- Gratallops is highly aromatic and focused in the mouth, with strong tannins. Flavors of buttery ed about 90 miles southwest of Barcelona oak, schist, blackberry and cassis culminate with in Tarragona province, was a collection of mocha, vanilla and a sense of greatness. Best from dilapidated Roman terraces that had seen 2017–2025. Europvin USA. Editors’ Choice. centuries of neglect. abv: 15.5% Price: $90 In 1989, however, a group of pioneering Mas d’en Gil 2009 Clos Fontà. Cedar, ma- winemakers that included René Barbier, Al- 94 ple, blackberry and schist aromas precede varo Palacios, Daphne Glorian, Carles Pastra- a tannic, firm, but not overpowering palate, with na and Josep Lluis Pérez—all still active in flavors of blackberry, cassis, fig and vanilla. This the region—joined to produce a single high- Garnacha-Carignan blend will be best from 2017– 2024. Classical Wines. Editors’ Choice. quality wine from grapes harvested near the abv: 15% Price: $98 town of Gratallops. Today, you can no longer count the re- Vall Llach 2012 Porrera Vi de Vila. Mildly gion’s vineyards and wineries on your fingers, 93 raisiny on the nose, this smells of boy- thanks to the 5,000-plus acres of vineyards senberry and crème de cassis. Chewy, tannic and heavy in its youth, this Carignan-based of- now spread throughout this rugged, hilly fering from vineyards near the town of Porrera region. To say the Priorat has boomed is an yields blackberry, cassis and prune flavors, with understatement. There’s more wine com- a toasty, chocolaty, oak-heavy finish. Best from ing from one of Spain’s most blessed terroirs 2016–2021. Folio Fine Wine Partners. than ever before. abv: 15.5% Price: $65 What makes the Priorat unique from the Genium Celler 2009 Costers Vi de Guarda. rest of Spain and much of the world is that its 92 This is a Carignan-led big boy that’s lay- century-old vineyards, meticulously reclaimed ered and heady, with fiery aromas of cinnamon, by the aforementioned “Gang of Five” and oth- baking spices, schist and red-berry fruits that include licorice. Deep, dark plum and berry fla- ers, are planted with 360 degrees of exposure. vors are long on the finish, with notes of leather Some portions of the Priorat are influ- and wild herbs. Best from 2017–2025. Grapes of enced entirely by the nearby Mediterranean Spain. Cellar Selection. Sea, with humidity and warm nights fac- abv: 15.5% Price: $70 toring into the overall terroir. Other micro- Scala Dei 2010 Cartoixa. This is ripe and a zones pick up drier continental influences, 91 bit oaky and creamy up front, with schisty and thus are cooler in the spring and fall, but berry scents. It’s controlled on the palate, with warmer during the summer. cherry, currant, plum, coconut and marzipan The Priorat is one of Spain’s hilliest re- flavors. An oaky, rooty finish comes with a deep gions, with vineyard elevations ranging from berry aftertaste. Drink this Garnacha-led wine through 2021. Aveniù Brands, Inc. several hundred feet above sea level to over abv: 15% Price: $100 2,000 feet. Winemakers can opt to make tra- ditionally powerful wines from lower costers Alvaro Palacios 2012 Les Terrasses. Cher- (hillsides planted with bush vines), or exper- 90 ry, cassis and plum aromas are forward and aggressive. In the mouth, this blend of old- iment with lighter, potentially more elegant vines Garnacha, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvi- raw materials taken from cooler vineyards at gnon shows generous fruit supported by strong higher elevations. tannins. Minerally flavors of plum and berry fin- Regardless of exposure or elevation, ish long. Drink through 2017. Rare Wine Co. there’s an overriding character to Priorat abv: 14.5% Price: $40 wines, which are largely based on old-vines Garnacha, Carignan and small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. These are predominantly big, dark, pow- potent core of minerality. the past couple of decades, the region’s mi- impressive bodega like that of Alvaro Pala- when you come across a great Priorat blend, Rofes, winemaker at Scala Dei, Priorat’s orig- erful wines with minerally depth derived In general, Priorat wines are some of serly old vines produce the best wines, but in cios or Ferrer Bobet, there’s someone making the combination of complexity, depth, power, inal monastic winery, with roots that go back from the region’s decomposed slate soils, Spain’s most expensive offerings. This re- equally miserly quantities. several hundred cases of wine out of a former fine oak, minerality and overall balance can to the 12th century. “You should be able to known as llicorella. Alcohol levels usual- flects Priorat’s rise in reputation and popu- A visit to the Priorat reveals a region grain mill, municipal building or monastery. knock you out. drink a good wine when it’s young, but the ly exceed 15% abv, with flavors revolving larity, but also the high cost in farming steep caught between rural traditions and the 21st Some of these arriviste wines are over- “Priorat wines are powerful, but they can wines do evolve and age well for about seven around ripe black fruits, oak framing and a hillsides. Despite increased plantings over century. For every modern, architecturally ripe, out of shape and ponderous. However, also be elegant and complex,” says Ricard to 12 years.” 56 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | JUNE 2015 WINEMAG.COM | 57 Montsant Terra Alta Montsant is like a mini Priorat, As its name implies, this is the wrapping around the region like a highest winemaking region in Cat- horseshoe, with similar elevations alonia, with elevations up to 3,000 and similarly composed soils. feet. It’s also the denominación de Formerly known as the Falset origen (D.O.) that’s furthest inland, subzone of the mostly undistin- where schist and llicorella give way guished Tarragona wine region, to chalk-based soils. Montsant became its own denom- In Terra Alta, red grapes are ination in 2001. Like Priorat and mostly Garnacha, Carignan, Syr- the lesser-known, more south- ah and small amounts of Cabernet erly Terra Alta region, Montsant Sauvignon, Merlot and Morenillo, a is largely a Mediterranean-influ- grape that’s akin to Pinot Noir, but enced region with a familiar ros- is nearly extinct and doesn’t exist ter of grapes: Garnacha, Carignan, outside of the region. Syrah and Garnacha Blanca. These are mostly full-bodied red “Montsant is special, and be- wines with freshness fostered by cause it’s not as known as the Pri- elevation. Because the region is just orat, the wines are well priced for now emerging, pricing is attractive. the quality,” says André Tamers, For example, Celler Piñol, an or- founder of De Maison Selections, ganic winery in the village of Batea, the importer for one of Mont- makes several excellent wines that sant’s top wineries, Cellers Joan sell for less than $50. Sa Natura, d’Anguera. its Carignan-led blend, boasts the Montsant wines straddle the highest quality-to-price ratio of any fence between power and preci- wine in this tasting. sion. Because the reds are usually The highest-scoring Garnacha based on Garnacha, Carignan and Blanca was also a Celler Piñol, the Syrah, expect ripeness and high 2011 L’Avi Arrufi, one of the most alcohol levels. But grown at eleva- complex and vital of the variety tions close to 2,000 feet in high- tasted to date. Made from 50- to mineral, schist-based soils like 80-year-old vines and aged eight those in Priorat, Montsant wines months in French oak, it’s the type can be alluring, refined, mineral- of wine that fans of white Burgundy ly and should rank high on one’s would be wise to try. Catalonian wish list. “I am continually impressed by “Like many places in Spain and the quality of wines being produced throughout the world, Montsant in Terra Alta,” says Brett Matthew, is evolving,” says Tamers. “I began sommelier and beverage direc- working with the Anguera family tor with Terra Momo Restaurant more than 15 years ago, after Josep Group in Princeton, New Jersey, d’Anguera had introduced Syrah who crafts wine lists deep in Span- to the region.