Growing grapes and making wine in the Priorat is simply a way of life, but once the wine is released to the world, it becomes a form of art subject to the judgment of critics and the whims of connoisseurs. The Priorat was lucky to reappear on the wine scene at a time when its natural virtues fit the dense, heavily extracted taste of the times. It also possessed the powerful sense of terroir that the soul craves. The Priorat was in the spotlight then and has not let its audience down since.

In the beginning the great debate was rustic versus elegant. Some felt that the spirit of the Priorat had disappeared in the process of seeking elegance no matter how well crafted the wine was. Rustic was authentic but perhaps too unrefined. The new question is about freshness, a trend that requires cooling winds from the sea and earlier grape picking than in the traditional wait for optimal maturity that resulted in the classic concentration.

Now the Priorat has created a Grand Cru system know as Vi de Vila. It codifies the temperatures, altitudes and soils around each village and recognizes vineyards with historic significance. Exploring these nuances provides new ways for people to explore the region more deeply. The existential winemakers of the Priorat will continue to think, imagine and evolve, but at the core there will always be llicorella and the wild landscape to maintain its distinctive sense of place. 

— Adapted from Ethos Priorat, a book by Elizabeth Hecker

Photos from a video by Michael Lamotte. See the video and other Terroir Talking videos on Vimeo.