Cataluña (Catalunya)

DO (Catalan: Priorat) at the centre of the province and DO of Tarragona in the wine-growing region of Catalonia in Spain, named after the Priorato de Scala Die abbey, or priory (priory of god’s ladder). According to legend, a herd boy in the 12th century saw angels descending a ladder here. The Carthusian monks then founded an abbey here in 1163. The wine is mentioned by the Franciscan monk Francisc Eiximenis (1340-1409) in his work "Lo Crestia". The Priorato was one of the most important wine-growing regions in Spain in the Middle Ages. The DO consists of 11 communes located around the small village of Scala Dei, the vineyard area totals 1.400 hectares. The vineyards are terraced, and located on steep slopes at an altitude of 100 to 700 metres above sea level. The Siurana river, a tributary of the Ebro, flows through the region. The soils are slate and quartzite (known here as Licorella), and is ideally for growing vines. The red wines are among the best and most famous in Spain, based on the special enclosed terroir, as well as the extremely low yields of only 5 - 6 hl/ha. 90% of the vineyards ae planted with red varieties, mainly Garnacha Tinta (Grenache Noir) and Cariñena (Carignan), the white varieties are Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo and Pedro Ximénez. Experimental vineyards with the international varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc have also been established. The red wines have a deep colour, they are concentrated and high in alcohol (minimum levels of 13,75 to 15% vol), they need to mature in bottle for at least five years before they can be enjoyed, and have a maturation potential of up to 25 years. Priorato was classified in the highest category DOCa in 2001, only the second such appellation after Rioja.