Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Nestled in the Montsant Protected Area in Catalonia, the Espectacle vineyard spans a natural amphitheater of steep hills overlooking the Ebro Valley. Planted at high altitude on poor soils of clay, limestone, and stony elements, the old Grenache vines benefit from a Mediterranean climate tempered by continental influences. The significant thermal contrasts between day and night favor a slow and complete maturation of the grapes, giving rise to a terroir wine profoundly marked by this geological mosaic and rugged landscape.
Produced from old Grenache vines on hillsides, this wine is made from meticulously hand-picked grapes. The grapes are gently placed in vats to preserve the integrity of the berries, then fermentation proceeds with measured extraction to maintain finesse and aromatic purity. The long aging takes place in large wooden vessels, chosen for their relative neutrality, allowing the wine to gain complexity and texture while respecting the expression of the Montsant terroir.
This wine reveals notes of ripe red fruits, candied black fruits, and plum, enhanced by floral touches of violet and dried rose, as well as spicy nuances of pepper, licorice, and garrigue. Delicate woody accents, evoking vanilla and cocoa, blend into a rich and silky texture, supported by a subtle mineral framework. The palate is concentrated yet balanced, with fine, ripe tannins, sustained by a persistent freshness and a long, flavorful finish.
Where are we traveling?
Priorat
It is located in the hinterland of Tarragona, in Catalonia, about a hundred kilometers southwest of Barcelona, nestled in a natural amphitheater of steep hills and deep valleys. The vineyard stretches over dizzying slopes, sometimes with an inclination of more than 45 degrees, between 100 and 700 meters above sea level, in a spectacular landscape of narrow terraces clinging to the mountain. The viticultural history dates back to the 12th century, when Carthusian monks founded the priory of Scala Dei and planted the first vines, giving the region its name. After centuries of prosperity, phylloxera and rural exodus emptied Priorat of its winemakers, until a handful of visionary pioneers—René Barbier, Álvaro Palacios, Daphne Glorian, and a few others—rediscovered in the 1990s the extraordinary potential of these unique llicorella soils, a black and shiny slate schist that forces the roots to plunge deep and gives the wines an intense and dark minerality. The climate is continental Mediterranean, hot and dry, tempered by the Catalan mistral—the cerç—which sweeps through the vines, and by the nighttime coolness linked to the altitude, offering the grapes slow maturation and remarkable balance. Priorat is one of only two Spanish appellations to hold DOCa status, on par with Rioja, and has established itself thanks to its monumental and profound Garnacha and Cariñena reds, often from centenary old vines with tiny yields, complemented by ambitious cuvées incorporating Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, and a handful of rare and mineral Garnacha Blanca and Macabeu whites, testaments to an extreme terroir that produces some of the most intense and moving wines in the entire Mediterranean.
The little history of the country
Spain
The history of wine in Spain is so ancient that no one really knows who first brought the vines to the region. By the time the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was already well established, and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a winemaking miracle. After years on the sidelines of the world of fine wines, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often high in alcohol), and spicy reds that are gaining popularity with international consumers. Proud to have more land dedicated to vines than any other country, Spain is only now beginning to capitalize on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is a chaotic jumble of regions and subregions, much like its landscape is a chaotic jumble of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity among Spain's many wine regions, from the lush, green vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the parched vineyards of the southeastern Mediterranean. Spain's saving grace for viticulture is the average altitude of its vineyards, which is over 600 meters. Many Spanish vineyards are thus able to produce grapes with good color and acidity simply because nighttime temperatures are relatively low and the grapes don't ripen until after a sufficiently long growing season. But there is a real treasure trove to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all sorts of ambitious investors have done their part to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun to craft spectacular wines and experiment with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable not so long ago. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.