First of all, watch and read 'the birthplace of Priorat' on the internet! 'Priorat' is the Denominació d'Origen Qualificada (DOQ) for Catalan wines, produced in this rugged region west of Tarragona. Next to Rioja – one of only two wine regions in Spain that qualify as DOQa, the highest level of qualification for a wine region according to Spanish wine regulations! The first recorded evidence of grape cultivation and wine production dates back to the 12th century, when the monks of the Carthusian monastery of 'SCALA DEI' (= stairway to God!), founded in 1194, introduced the art of viticulture to the area. The prior of Scala Dei ruled as feudal lord over seven villages in the area, which gave rise to the name Priorat. The monks tended the vineyards for centuries until 1835, when they were expropriated by the state and allocated to small farmers. Nowadays the DOQa covers 11 municipalities that mainly produce powerful red wines, which came to international attention in the 90s, thanks in part to Robert Parker: Bellmunt del Priorat, Gratallops, el Lloar, la Morera de Montsant, Porrera, Poboleda, Scala Dei, Torroja del Priorat, la Vilella Alta and la Vilella Baixa, and the grape-growing areas of Masos de Falset and Solanes del Molar. The area is characterized by its unique terroir of black slate and quartz soil, known as 'llicorella'. At the end of the 19th century, the phylloxera plague devastated the vineyards, leading to economic ruin and large-scale emigration of the population. Before phylloxera hit, Priorat is said to have had about 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) of vineyards. It was not until the 50s that replanting was carried out. The DO Priorat was formally established in 1954. The seat of the D.O.'s regulatory body was initially the city of Reus (birthplace of Gaudi!), about 30 km east of the wine region, rather than in Priorat itself. In the decade from 1985 onwards, the production of bulk wine was gradually phased out and the pursuit of quality wines gradually became a 'priority'. Much of the development of Priorat wines into top class is attributed to three pioneers: Carles PASTRANA, René BARBIER and Álvaro PALACIOS. Winemaker Barbier -then active at a winery in Rioja owned by the Palacios family- bought his first land for the Priorat vineyards in 1979, convinced of the region's potential. At that stage, the Priorat vineyards covered only 600 hectares. In the 1980s, he convinced others, including Palacios, to follow suit and plant new vineyards in suitable locations, all with the name 'Clos'. For the first three vintages, 1989-1991, the group of five wineries pooled their grapes, shared a winery in Gratallops, and made one wine sold under five labels: Clos Mogador (Barbier), Clos Dofi (Palacios, later renamed as Finca Dofi), Clos Erasmus (Daphne Glorian), Clos Martinet (Josep Lluís Pérez, now Mas Martinet) and CLOS DE L'OBAC (Pastrana). Priorat's vineyard area has been continuously expanded since the quality revolution led by the 'Clos' in the 1990s. At the beginning of the millennium, 1,000 hectares of vineyards had been secured, with an equal amount of planting rights secured. In 2018, the Priorat vineyards covered 2,010 hectares. The DOQa covers the valleys of the Siurana and Montsant rivers. The vineyards are planted on the slopes on terraces at altitudes between 100 meters (330 ft) and 700 meters (2,300 ft) above sea level. Priorat is almost entirely surrounded by the DO Montsant, which makes wine in a similar style. The demarcated zone has a total size of 19,783 hectares (48,880 acres). The area is of volcanic origin, which lends interesting characteristics to the soil. That base (called 'llicorella' in Catalan) consists of reddish and black slate with small particles of mica, which reflect sunlight and retain heat. The 50-centimeter (20-inch) thick topsoil is formed by decomposed slate and mica. These traits force the roots of the vines to reach the base for water, nutrition, and minerals. These soil characteristics lend a special quality to the wine and keep the vines firmly anchored in the earth during the strong winds and storms that are common in the area. YIELDS ARE VERY LOW, usually much lower than the maximum permitted yield of 6,000 kg/ha, due to the rocky nature of the soil that does not allow the accumulation of water. The vines are usually planted as low shrubs (en vaso), although the newer vineyards are usually planted on trellises (and espaldera). Consult for an average retailprice indication the Wine-Searcher website. Right after purchase the bottle were cherished in a genuine monastery cellar.......