The day I met Priorat Singulars

Yes, those of us who dream of wine country travels, dreams do come true. For here we are at Clos Figueras, Gratallops being introduced to Priorat wines over lunch. Visiting DOQ Priorat is a dream for most #winelovers. It certainly was for me. After driving through some of the most amazing wine country in the world, with terraced vineyards at 100 meters to 700 meters above sea level, we arrived in Priorat. We spent the morning touring Cartoixa d’Escaladei and Cellers Scala Dei. Then later, when we ate lunch at Clos Figueras, we tasted wines from four Priorat Singulars wineries (Clos Figueras, Mas d'en Gil, Mas Doix, and Vall Llach). 

#Winelover Lunch, Clos Figueras © Spaswinefood

These Priorat wineries are all family owned wineries, and they were founded in 1990's. They represent four of the 12 villages in Priorat. The main idea is that the wines from each village has unique characteristics, making them singular and hence Priorat Singulars.

Perhaps DOQ (Denominació d'Origen Qualificada) Priorat needs a brief overview. This Spanish DOQ  is located in Priorat County, Tarragona Province in north eastern Spain. Priorat and Rioja are the only two wine regions in Spain with DOQ status, the highest level of qualification. In the 1990's Priorat became known internationally for the high quality of its full bodied, powerful red wines. This is a status that it still maintains internationally. 96% of the wines produced in this wine region are reds, with a small white and rose wine production of 4%. The classic Priorat wine is made from old vines Grenache and Carignan, with Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon being added in some blends. The grapes used in making white wines include Grenache Blanc, Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez, and Chenin Blanc.

Arrival, Clos Figueras © Spaswinefood

When we arrived we were greeted by the talented owner Christopher Cannan, an entrepreneur and wine distributor for Europvin. Cannan and his wife, Charlotte founded Clos Figueras in 1997. They transformed the abandoned Figueres vineyard into producing top rated wines in a short time. A recent Harpers article on Priorat Singulars wines offers further insights.

Welcome to Clos Figueras © Spaswinefood

Christopher Cannon, Clos Figueras © Spaswinefood

Lunch at Restaurant Les Figueres 
Lunch began with appetizers.

Deli Plate, Clos Figueras © Spaswinefood

Paté Plate, Restaurant Les Figueres © Spaswinefood

Chicken Appetizer, Restaurant Les Figueres © Spaswinefood

The vegetarian appetizer was absolutely delicious.

Vegetarian Appetizer, Restaurant Les Figueres © Spaswinefood

Lunch plates followed the appetizers.

Veggies, Clos Figueras © Spaswinefood

Grilled Veggies, Restaurant Les Figueres © Spaswinefood

The meat lovers were not disappointed.

Grilled Meats, Restaurant Les Figueres © Spaswinefood

The main vegetarian plate was absolutely delicious.

Grilled Veggie Plate, Restaurant Les Figueres © Spaswinefood

Of course there was dessert.

Dessert, Restaurant Les Figueres © Spaswinefood

Priorat Wine Conversations
Let's not forget the wines. Since I did just mention dessert here is the dessert wine. 

Clos Figueras, Sweet, Priorat DOQ 2016 © Spaswinefood

On a more serious note Clos Figueras wines were introduced at the start of lunch.

Introducing Clos Figueras Wines © Spaswinefood

Our first wine was a Font De la Figuera White, followed by a red.

Clos Figueras, Font De la Figuera White © Spaswinefood

Clos Figueras, Font De la Figuera White © Spaswinefood

 Font De La Figuera in White and Red © Spaswinefood

Clos Figueras, Font De La Figuera Red, DOQ Priorat 2015

Clos Figueras, Font De La Figuera Red, Priorat 2015 © Spaswinefood

A #winelover gathering is always the perfect place to explore wines.

#Winelover, Clos Figueras Priorat © Spaswinefood

After an introduction to Clos Figueras wines, three other Priorat Singulars wineries (Mas Doix, Mas d'en Gil, and Vall Llach) shared their wines.

I tasted two Mas Doix wines.
1. Mas Doix, Salanques DOQ Priorat 2015
2. Mas Doix, Doix DOQ Priorat 2014

Mas Doix, Salanques Priorat 2015 © Spaswinefood

Mas Doix, Doix Priorat 2014 © Spaswinefood

 Thanks for the introduction to those amazing Mas Doix wines.

Mas Doix © Spaswinefood

Other Priorat Singular wines included:
1. Mas d'en Gil, Coma Alta DOQ Priorat 2014

 Mas d'en Gil, Coma Alta Priorat 2014 © Spaswinefood

There were also two Vall Llach wines.
1. Vall Llach, Idus DOQ Priorat 2015

Vall Llach, Idus Priorat 2015 © Spaswinefood

2. Porrera Vi de Vila de Vall Lach, DOQ Priorat 2015

Porrera Vi de Vila de Vall Lach, DOQ Priorat 2015 © Spaswinefood

After tasting these wines #winelovers could resist capturing a few moments with Clos Figueras, Mas Doix, Mas d'en Gil, and Vall Llach.

The Faces Behind the Wines © Spaswinefood

Our Priorat Hosts © Spaswinefood

Now photo bombing our hosts with I Love Priorat can be forgiven.

I Love Priorat © Spaswinefood

Yes, there was a special bottle of wine shared at the end of lunch.

Clos Figueres, DOQ Priorat 2008

Clos Figueres, DOQ Priorat 2008 © Spaswinefood

Yes, we did manage to leave with a few bottles of Clos Figueres, DOQ Priorat 2008. 

Cellers Scala Dei & Clos Figueras, Priorat © Spaswinefood

What an amazing visit to Clos Figueras it was! Wish I could have stayed longer. Visitors might want to checkout accommodations and Restaurant Les Figueres at Clos Figueras. This Costa Daurada #Winelover 6th Anniversary event certainly provided us with an amazing introduction to DOQ Priorat Singulars. I would like to thank our host Sinisa Curavic, SweetEasy and the sponsors of this event. The organization was truly outstanding. I invite you to join me in my explorations of Costa Daurada and elsewhere at Spaswinefood. 

Sharon

February 2018
Tarragona, Spain 

© Spaswinefood

Spaswinefood, Clos Figueras © Spaswinefood

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Note: I would like to note that part of the expenses for local events was covered by the sponsors. All other expenses (travel and lodging) was covered by Spaswinefood.