Clos Pachem is a young winery in the very centre of Gratallops, at the heart of DOQ Priorat. It was founded in 2015 by Michel Grupper, a trained surgeon with a Swiss mother and French father, who discovered his love of wine through his own father and, after first visiting Priorat a decade earlier, ended up putting down roots there with a project of his own. The name Pachem is an acronym formed from his children's names: Paul, Charles and Emma.
The winery works with grenache and carignan from old vines grown on the region's characteristic llicorella slate soils, following organic and biodynamic practices. From these grapes come wines such as Pachem Grenache, Pachem Carignan, Camí de la Mina (a grenache-carignan blend), Planassos and Mas de Serres, all under DOQ Priorat, plus the white Licos, made from white grenache under DO Terra Alta.
The winery building, integrated into Gratallops' historic centre using natural, simple materials, was designed by the well-regarded architecture studio Harquitectes. Clos Pachem offers visits and tastings by appointment at its premises on Carrer de la Font, though it has no restaurant or accommodation of its own.
Imatge: Jorge Franganillo · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Sources: clospachem.com · turismepriorat.org · clospachem.com