DODO PrioratThe Priorat guide: wine, food, nature and heritage

🍇 The wine of the Priorat

The grapes of the Priorat

Two old varieties, garnatxa negra (Grenache) and carinyena (Carignan), define the wine of the Priorat. They are the two the DOQ regulatory council recommends, and the ones that cover most of the vineyard. DO Montsant singles out four historic varieties, with the same two reds at the front.

In DOQ Priorat

Recommended reds

  • garnatxa negra (Grenache)
  • carinyena (Carignan)

Permitted reds

  • hairy garnatxa
  • tempranillo
  • piquepoul
  • cabernet sauvignon
  • cabernet franc
  • pinot noir
  • merlot
  • syrah

Whites

  • white garnatxa
  • macabeu
  • Pedro Ximénez
  • chenin blanc
  • Muscat of Alexandria
  • Muscat blanc à petits grains
  • xarel·lo
  • piquepoul

List from the regulatory council’s “Varietals” page. Its wine directory also shows pansal, viognier and xenin among the varieties on labels.

In DO Montsant

DO Montsant singles out four historic, predominant varieties: white garnatxa and macabeu among the whites, and garnatxa negra and carinyena among the reds. Together they make up more than 65 % of the vineyards. According to the regulatory council they are the ones best suited to the land and the ones that give the appellation’s wines their individuality.

Besides these, wines are also made with chardonnay, muscat, pansal, parellada, cabernet sauvignon, hairy garnatxa, merlot, monastrell, picapoll negre, syrah and ull de llebre.

The vineyard and the harvest

DOQ Priorat vineyards run from 100 to 750 metres above sea level and slopes usually exceed 15 %; the vines give under a kilo of grapes on average. The harvest starts around mid-September in the lowest villages and finishes at the end of October or early November in the highest. In DO Montsant the vineyards run from 50 to 700 metres.

The DOQ regulatory council explains that the long fermentation of very ripe grapes lets winemakers draw many components from each grape and macerate very fully on the skins.

How much each variety covers

DOQ Priorat

  • Garnatxa negra (Grenache) 41%
  • Carinyena negra (Carignan) 23%
  • Other varieties 36%

DO Montsant

  • Garnatxa (Grenache) 36%
  • Carinyena (Carignan) 24%
  • Other varieties 40%

The proportions are approximate and cannot be compared across appellations: the DOQ Priorat figures are planted vineyard area (2018) and the DO Montsant figures are grape production, from a secondary source. The DO Montsant regulatory council says only that four varieties exceed 65 % of the vineyards.

From the village to the vineyard →Wineries & wine →

Sources