Mas Doix winery was founded in 1998 in Poboleda, at the heart of Priorat, by Valentí and Ramon Llagostera, though the cultivation of its vineyards goes back much further: the Doix family has been tied to this land for almost a century, with old Grenache and Carignan plots dating to the early twentieth century, some planted in 1902. In 2019, North American producer Cliff Lede (owner of Cliff Lede Vineyards in Napa Valley) acquired a 50% stake in the winery, an infusion of capital that funded a new winery building on the outskirts of Poboleda.
The roughly 20 hectares of vineyards, farmed organically and, since 2016, with biodynamic practices, grow on the region's characteristic llicorella slate soils. Grenache is the leading variety, alongside Carignan and, to a lesser extent, Syrah; the estate also makes white wines from Macabeu and Pedro Ximénez. Its wines include Les Crestes, Salanques, Poboleda, Murmuri and Salix, alongside its flagship labels Doix and the old-vine cuvées 1902 Tossal d'en Bou and 1903 Coma de Cases.
The winery favors minimal-intervention winemaking and hand-harvesting, aiming for wines that express Poboleda's cooler microclimate and the minerality of the slate soils. Doix, made from century-old Grenache and Carignan vines, has received high scores from international critics, including 98 points from Robert Parker. The winery offers scheduled visits Monday to Saturday, with several tasting experiences ranging from a basic tour to vertical tastings featuring older vintages.
Imatge: Juan Emilio Prades Bel · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Sources: masdoix.com · masdoix.com · cellartours.com