How Hippies and Dreamers Transformed Priorat Into a Success Story

How Hippies and Dreamers Transformed Priorat Into a Success Story 

© Arduino Vannucchi | Left to right, Alvaro Palacios, José Luis Pérez, Daphne Glorian and René Barbier at the celebration

Tim Atkin goes to a party celebrating the founding of the modern era for one of Spain's most important wine regions.
 Posted Tuesday, 30-Sep-2014

It was a spectacular, if slightly eerie setting for a party.

The floodlit ruins of the Escaladei monastery, tucked beneath the rugged, brooding hill of the Montsant, were once the home of contemplative Carthusian monks. But earlier this month, those medieval walls witnessed an event that was anything but monastic.

Wine lovers traveled from all over the world to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of "modern" Priorat, dancing and drinking until the early hours.

The story of how a bunch of hippies, dreamers and academics came to rescue a historic appellation, as much by luck as judgment, is inspirational.Related stories:

René Barbier was the first to recognize the potential of Priorat, with its old vines, steep slopes and brown slate (llicorella) soils. He started out by making a bit of wine for himself from purchased grapes, and then planted a small vineyard of his own in 1978. A few kilometers away another, rather more qualified winemaker, José Luiz Pérez, who was teaching enology in nearby Falset, was also experimenting with local grapes in his spare time.

In 1989, the two joined forces with eight other people to produce a wine in a co-operative venture in the town of Gratallops.

"It was like a commune," remembers one of their number, Daphne Glorian of the now-celebrated Clos Erasmus. "We used to drive around visiting old vineyards in a pink van with purple seats."

The 10 merry pranksters produced one wine in that first vintage and bottled it under different labels. "Critics said they preferred some to others," remembers Barbier, "but it was all the same stuff."

At the party earlier this month, the 10 bottles were displayed side by side in a glass presentation case. Some of the producers – Clos Ballesteros-Jové, Clos Garsed, Clos Baste-Krug, Clos des Llops and Clos Setien – gave up after a vintage or two, but five of them – Clos Erasmus, Clos (now Finca) Dofi, Clos Mogador, Clos (now Mas) Martinet and Clos de l’Obac – continued to produce some increasingly celebrated wines. The co-operative closed by 1991, but the remaining five members were ready to do their own thing by then.

It was those surviving pioneers who held the party to celebrate the anniversary of that first communal vintage, with one significant omission. Somewhere along the way – and for reasons that I couldn’t get to the bottom of – René Barbier (Clos Mogador), Daphne Glorian (Clos Erasmus), José Luis Perez (Mas Martinet) and Alvaro Palacios (Finca Dofi) fell out with Carles Pastrana (Clos de l’Obac). He’s still making wine, but was definitely not on the guest list.

He was partly there in spirit, however, as were the other five, long-gone members of the commune. One of the most moving moments of the night came when we tasted a bottle of the 1989 made by the co-operative. The tannins were a little dry, the flavors mature, mushroomy and slightly balsamic, but the wine was still alive; an intriguing, one-off cuvée of Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and – at its core – Grenache and Carignan. It was a fitting tribute to what Alvaro Palacios called "a group of romantics full of enthusiasm for a project".

How important were the pioneers? The first thing to be said is that there were still 800 hectares (2000 acres) of vines in Priorat when they started, compared with 6000 during the region's peak at the end of the 18th century, and around 2000 today.

There were also a handful of existing producers, most notably Cellers de Scala Dei. But the area was on its knees. The name "Gratallops" means "pleases the wolves" in Catalan and that was rather appropriate in 1989. "There were no children in the street, just old people," remembers José Luis Pérez. Or as Daphne Glorian puts it: "It was like landing on the moon."

Without the gang of five (Carles Pastrana deserves some credit, too), Priorat wouldn't have become what it is today – one of the three best red-wine regions in Spain. Historically, Priorat produced high-octane red wines that sometimes contained as much as 18 percent alcohol and were made in a "rancio" style. The wines are still rich and full-bodied – no surprise, given the region’s heat and harsh, burnished conditions – but Priorat today bears very little resemblance to what it was before 1989. The wines are increasingly well balanced, relying less on alcohol and oak and more on freshness and fruit.

The pioneers inspired others to come to the region. Without them, there would be no Mas d’en Gil, Vall Llach, Terroir al Limit, Mas Alta, Ferrer Bobet, Familia Nin Ortiz, Mas Doix, Viñedos de Ithaca, Cims de Porrera or (very important for international recognition) Torres, all of whom make good to excellent wines.

Growing grapes is tough in Priorat – yields are minuscule, and the land is wild and unforgiving – and corresponding prices can seem high to consumers used to the easy charms and affordability of most Rioja. But Priorat is more exciting, diverse and terroir-driven today than it has ever been.

They might not have shouted about it, but those Carthusian monks, who drank wine on a daily basis and planted some of the region's best vineyards, would surely have approved.

Origin information: Wine Searcher