DO Montsant

The DO Montsant is the newest in Catalonia (2001). However, it goes back much further and prior to 2001 it was part of the Falset sub-area in the DO Tarragona.

The DO is spread over 16 municipalities, mostly in the Priorat region with a few in Ribera d’Ebre. It surrounds the DOQ Priorat almost like a perfect ring.

This DO mostly produces red wines, though some Garnatxa and Macabeu whites are also made there, often aged in barrels. Approved in 2001, the DO Montsant is the most recent in Catalonia. This date may be misleading, however, because wine-making is not new to the area. In fact, its immediate origin goes back to the former Falset sub-area of the DO Tarragona, and the location - almost a perfect circle around the DOQ Priorat, including the vineyards of the county capital, Falset, are evidence of a long and rich wine-making tradition.

With regard to the soil, there are three main types, although there is significant diversity within each group. The soil in the peripheral part of the DO is compact and chalky, predominantly with pebbles and silts from river terraces and reddish clay soils.

In the Falset area there are granite sands, which are fertile but have little water retention capacity. Some parts of Cornudella and Falset have siliceous slate soil known locally as “llicorelles”, which is low in organic matter and stony.

The climate of the DO Montsant is defined by the mountainous and rugged terrain, the influence of the River Ebro, and the sea winds. As a result, despite being a Mediterranean climate, it is more extreme than in other areas, with a more continental influence. It is worth noting that the very rugged land gives rise to several very varied microclimates, which bestow distinctive features on each area and can even determine specific plots.

The vineyards, often with old vines, have a low yield, a characteristic that defines the intense and concentrated wines of this area, for which they are highly valued.

From large cooperatives to small family wineries

The DO Montsant encompasses a wide range of wineries, from large cooperatives with a long track record to private wineries with differing potential, small family wineries, and even winemakers who make wine at other wineries using the grapes grown on their own vineyards.

It is primarily a red wine area, where the two traditional local grape, Garnatxa and Carinyena, give intense but balanced wines. Indeed, they are so balanced that despite its proven ageing capacity, it also produces some excellent examples of young, fresh and fruity wines.

Although not so common, whites are also made in this area and there are some prime examples of intense whites from old Garnatxa Blanca and Macabeu vines that often reach full expression of all their nuances after being fermented and/or aged in barrels. There are also a number of fortified, sweet, “ranci” and mistelle wines.