Whether you are a lover of Spanish wines, or just curious to learn more then DOQ (Denominació d'Origen Qualificada) Priorat and its wines are a must. This Spanish DOQ is located in Priorat County, Tarragona Province in northeastern Spain. Priorat and Rioja are the only two Spanish wine regions 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. Let's discover why you should put Priorat at the top of your wine travels list.
I was most fortunate to join fellow #winelovers on a February visit to DOQ Priorat. During our Priorat visit we toured the historic Cellers Scala Dei and Cartoixa d’Escaladei, followed by lunch at Clos Figueras. Over lunch we tasted wines from four of the Priorat Singulars wineries. The main idea is that the wines from each Priorat village has unique characteristics. It is these unique characteristics that make them singular, and hence Priorat Singulars. 96% of the wines produced 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.
Exploring Priorat History at Cellers Scala Dei and Cartoixa d’Escaladei  |
| Montsant Mountains, DOQ Priorat © Spaswinefood |
About an hour after leaving Tarragona we were surrounded by the amazing Priorat wine country landscape. Our first stop was Cellers Scala Dei's where we discovered its historical connection to Priorat winemaking. This historical property is linked to the arrival of the Carthusian monks in 11th century when they introduced grapevines to the area. Early winemaking at Scala Dei was managed by the Cartoixa d’Escaladei monks until Spain ordered the dissolution of monastic properties in 1830's. After the dissolution families of the present owners acquired the property. We did a tour and wine tasting at Cellers Scala Dei, followed by a visit to the 11th century Cartoixa d’Escaladei (Carthusian Monastery of Santa Maria d’Escaladei).
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Cellars Scala Dei & Clos Figueras, Priorat © Spaswinefood
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The original cellar was constructed in the 17th century by the monks. Later Escaladei was acquired by four families from Barcelona (Peyra, Rius, Rialp and García de Faria). Soon after the acquisition, the first private cellar in the history of Priorat was created, followed by the production prestigious quality wines, which were sold in Paris and Barcelona. The first Priorat wine was presented to the Paris World Fair in 1878 was from this cellar. Another significant date is 1974 when the winery was re-founded, and started to produce the first wines in modern times. Wine making at Scala Dei wines continued to evolve from 1970's to 2000's. By the mid-2000's Cordorníu became a major shareholder.
We tasted four Cellers Scala Dei wines.
Our wine tasting began with a rosé wine.
The four wines we tasted included.
Cellers Scala Dei PLA Dels Angles, Priorat DOQ 2016
Cellers Scala Dei Garnaxta, Priorat DOQ 2016
Cellers Scala Dei Prior, Priorat DOQ 2015
Cellers Scala Dei Cartoixa, Priorat DOQ 2015
Perhaps seeing the 1974 in the wine tasting room prompted me to ask for the selling price. We were told that it is not for sale but maybe we would ask at the wine store later.
Later when I saw the 1974 at a wine store in Falset once more I asked the price. Again, I was told that it is not for sale. I suspect that a wise person would not sell this piece of wine history. I certainly would not. Cellers Scala Dei wines are certainly wines with an awesome Priorat history.
It was worth the drive to the most amazing wine country in the world to learn about Cellers Scala Dei. After our wine cellar visit and wine tasting we visited the monastery. The setting of the monastery, at the foot of the Montsant Mountains, is absolutely stunning.
After spending the morning touring Cartoixa d’Escaladei and Cellers Scala Dei we were well rooted in Priorat wine history. Next, it was time to discover why Priorat Singular wines are making an impact worldwide.
Clos Figueras and Priorat Singulars
When we arrived at the winery 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.
Over lunch at Clos Figueras we tasted wines from four Priorat Singulars wineries (Clos Figueras, Mas d'en Gil, Mas Doix, and Vall Llach). These four Priorat wineries, all family owned wineries, were founded in 1990's. The wineries represented 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.
The first wine served was a Font De la Figuera White, followed by a red.
Clos Figueras, Font De La Figuera Red, DOQ Priorat 2015
Without doubt a #winelover gathering is always the perfect place to explore wines.
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
Thanks for the introduction to those amazing Mas Doix wines.
Other Priorat Singular wines included:
1. Mas d'en Gil, Coma Alta DOQ Priorat 2014
There were also two Vall Llach wines.
1. Vall Llach, Idus DOQ Priorat 2015
2. Porrera Vi de Vila de Vall Lach, DOQ Priorat 2015
After tasting these wines #winelovers could resist capturing a few moments with Clos Figueras, Mas Doix, Mas d'en Gil, and Vall Llach winemaking teams.
What an amazing visit to Clos Figueras and introduction to Priorat Singulars it was! A recent Harpers article on Priorat Singulars wines offers further insights. Wish I could have stayed longer in DOQ Priorat. I can see why a Decanter article suggested it as one of the five Spanish wine regions that you must visit before you die. This #winelover would like to thank our host Sinisa Curavic, SweetEasy and all the sponsors of Costa Daurada #Winelover 6th Anniversary. I invite you to join me in my explorations of Costa Daurada and elsewhere at Spaswinefood.
We tasted four Cellers Scala Dei wines.
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| Wine Tasting, Scala Dei Cellars © Spaswinefood |
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| Scala Dei Wines Tasted © Spaswinefood |
Cellers Scala Dei PLA Dels Angles, Priorat DOQ 2016
Cellers Scala Dei Garnaxta, Priorat DOQ 2016
Cellers Scala Dei Prior, Priorat DOQ 2015
Cellers Scala Dei Cartoixa, Priorat DOQ 2015
Perhaps seeing the 1974 in the wine tasting room prompted me to ask for the selling price. We were told that it is not for sale but maybe we would ask at the wine store later.
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| Spotting a 1974 Amongst Cellers Scala Dei Wines © Spaswinefood |
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| Cellers Scala Dei Wines © Spaswinefood |
It was worth the drive to the most amazing wine country in the world to learn about Cellers Scala Dei. After our wine cellar visit and wine tasting we visited the monastery. The setting of the monastery, at the foot of the Montsant Mountains, is absolutely stunning.
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| Cartoixa d’Escaladei and the Montsant Mountains © Spaswinefood |
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| Cartoixa d’Escaladei © Spaswinefood |
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| Arriving at Cartoixa d’Escaladei © Spaswinefood |
After spending the morning touring Cartoixa d’Escaladei and Cellers Scala Dei we were well rooted in Priorat wine history. Next, it was time to discover why Priorat Singular wines are making an impact worldwide.
Clos Figueras and Priorat Singulars
When we arrived at the winery 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.
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| #Winelover Lunch, Clos Figueras © Spaswinefood |
The first wine served was a Font De la Figuera White, followed by a red.
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| Font De La Figuera in White and Red © Spaswinefood |
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| Clos Figueras, Font De La Figuera Red, Priorat 2015 © 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
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Mas Doix, Salanques Priorat 2015 © Spaswinefood
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| Mas Doix © Spaswinefood |
1. Mas d'en Gil, Coma Alta DOQ Priorat 2014
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| Mas d'en Gil, Coma Alta Priorat 2014 © Spaswinefood |
1. Vall Llach, Idus DOQ Priorat 2015
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| Vall Llach, Idus Priorat 2015 © Spaswinefood |
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| Porrera Vi de Vila de Vall Lach, DOQ Priorat 2015 © Spaswinefood |
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| The Faces Behind the Wines © Spaswinefood |
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