PRIORAT-MOUNTAIN WINES-SOMONTANO
Priorat is located in the province of Tarragona, recognized with the highest quality to be qualified denomination of origin. The vineyard is planted on soils slatey called llicorelles. It is a mountainous area with steep slopes, in a way that is grown in the vineyard terraces. Its climate is temperate and dry, with marked fluctuations in temperature between day and night.
Montsant gives very concentrated wines, with expressiveness of the aromas and flavours. The soil is more sandy and there is less mineral-rich stone called Llicorella, with a little more moist soil which allows the retention of the materials and therefore a higher production.
Somontano is unique in Aragón, if not Spain, in that its wines defy pigeonholing. The name means at the foot of the mountains and perfectly defines the geographic area where it sits this designation of origin, since it is a transition zone between the Ebro River valley and Pirineos. The DOs Costers del Segre and Navarra are about equidistant, east and west, respectively, and yet Somontano owes nothing to to either of them. Its altitude, climate, soils and native grape varieties are all contributors to the uniqueness of the area.