Articles

Pre-tasting DOQ Priorat 2020

by  |  30-11-2021

A feeling washed over me when I was tasting the wines for the DO Tarragona report earlier this year. Despite being exceedingly young wines at the time from a region that’s one of Catalunya’s less... more »

The rebuilding of Priorat’s Vall Llach

by  |  27-10-2021

As was reported back in the middle of January of this year, a historic snowstorm crushed the roof of Vall Llach’s main production cellar, destroying the building in the process. In an update to the... more »

The growing fraud case of Reserva de la Tierra

by  |  25-10-2021

As I reported in my article for Decanter last week, there’s currently a breaking story of massive wine fraud unfolding in Southern Catalunya. The perpetrator is alleged to be the company, “Reserva de la Tierra”... more »

In The Glass: Álvaro Palacios Les Terrasses 2019

by  |  19-07-2021

When I did the first round of research for the Vinologue Priorat book back in 2012, I did everything I could to taste every wine produced in DOQ Priorat at the time. Some required a... more »

The wines of DOQ Priorat in 2021

by  |  05-07-2021

Since last year’s report, a lot has happened within the bounds of Catalunya’s DOQ Priorat leading up to this Tasting Report released today that includes over 200 rated wines. Yes, there’s still a pandemic to... more »

Priorat’s Fira del Vi 2021, changing for the times

by  |  24-05-2021

The Fira del Vi is the Priorat county’s annual wine fair for both appellations contained in it, DOQ Priorat as well as DO Montsant. Unfortunately, like all wine events in the spring of 2020, it... more »

DOQ Priorat’s first “Grans Vinyes Classificades”

by  |  29-04-2021

DOQ Priorat has officially announced the first wines to be released under the “Gran vinya classificada” scheme by certifying: Mas de la Rosa of Vall Llach, 1902 – Tossal d’en Bou of Mas Doix, and... more »

A reflective tasting on DOQ Priorat’s 2010 vintage

by  |  29-03-2021

Every year in Priorat, there’s a small event called the, Tast del Decenni or, “decade tasting”. It’s an intimate affair in a very packed room that takes place during the annual Fira del Vi. The... more »

1999 Vintage in Priorat vs. Châteauneuf-du-Pape

by  |  15-02-2021

While my memory is less amazing with each birthday, I can tell you exactly where I was at the beginning of 1999. Two friends came down from my hometown on December 31st, 1998 so that... more »

Scala Dei’s Artigots 2017

by  |  08-02-2021

If visiting the 12th century monastery of La Cartoixa in the village of Escaladei, you’d be forgiven for not noticing the dirt road that wobbles up along the left side of the old stone walls.... more »