Joan Ametller winery traces back to a family that has been devoted to wine since 1824, when it held an estate in Sant Martí Sarroca, in the Penedès. Seven generations later, Joan Ametller decided to return to the family's winegrowing roots and, in the early 2000s, launched the Priorat project: he first recovered a semi-wooded plot in Porrera planted with abandoned old vines, then built the winery at the Mas Mustardó estate in la Morera de Montsant, at the foot of the Montsant mountain range.
The winery farms two estates: the one in Porrera, with slate (llicorella) soils and old red Garnacha vines up to 70-75 years old yielding very low harvests, and Mas Mustardó, with clay-limestone soils at roughly 650-720 metres of altitude. The main grape varieties are red and white Garnacha, alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, used to make red, white and even rosé wines -unusual within DOQ Priorat- grouped under ranges such as Clos Corriol and Clos Mustardó, plus its flagship wine, Els Igols.
The winery's stated philosophy is to make "an honest wine without frills" that reflects the local climate, soil and varietals, aiming for accessible quality. It also offers wine tourism: guided tours of the vineyards and facilities, tastings, and activities such as active grape harvesting or wine-and-stargazing evenings, with views over the Montsant range from the tasting room.
Imatge: Pere López Brosa · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Sources: familiaametller.com · enoguia.cat · turismepriorat.org