Alvaro Palacios
Palacios is an important Spanish producer that manages three companies in areas highly suited for viticulture: eastern Rioja, Priorat, and Bierzo. The Alvaro Palacios estate is located in the charming Priorat Region, situated south of Barcelona, in the first inland area overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the Balearic Islands. It was founded in 1989 and today represents a splendid excellence, producing excellent wines, thanks to a truly unique territory. The high and often steep hills of Priorat offer wonderful sunny exposures, characterized by a warm and dry climate, with strong temperature variations between the scorching daytime heat and the cold nights. The area is always very windy thanks to the sea breezes, which keep the grapes healthy and dry and help to mitigate the climate, making it milder and more favorable for perfect grape ripening.
In the rugged area of Piorat, vine cultivation was introduced by the monks of the Certosa di Escaladei during the 12th century, thanks to hard work on very steep slopes, often characterized by terraces and dry stone walls. Even today, vineyard work is carried out manually, from winter pruning to harvest. An ancient and ancestral viticulture, passed down from generation to generation, unchanged through the centuries. Precisely for these characteristics, the DOQ Priorat is among the members of CERIM, an international organization founded in 1987 that protects and enhances all areas where mountain viticulture is still present, carried out with vineyards cultivated on steep slopes. This refers to heather viticulture, meaning vines that require many hours of work and are still managed in an ancient way, without any machinery assistance.
In addition to the climate and the slope of the hilly reliefs, Priorat has another characteristic that makes it absolutely unique in the wine world. The soils, in fact, are stony, poor, and very draining. They consist of a crumbly gravel resulting from the weathering of slate rocks, locally called llicorella. Rich in mineral elements, but characterized by a low presence of organicorganic, it is a poor soil that forces the plants to send their roots very deep in search of water and nutrients, naturally limiting yields. The few grapes produced are very concentrated and aromatically rich, allowing for the production of wines of excellent quality.
Palacios is an important Spanish producer that manages three companies in areas highly suited for viticulture: eastern Rioja, Priorat, and Bierzo. The Alvaro Palacios estate is located in the charming Priorat Region, situated south of Barcelona, in the first inland area overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the Balearic Islands. It was founded in 1989 and today represents a splendid excellence, producing excellent wines, thanks to a truly unique territory. The high and often steep hills of Priorat offer wonderful sunny exposures, characterized by a warm and dry climate, with strong temperature variations between the scorching daytime heat and the cold nights. The area is always very windy thanks to the sea breezes, which keep the grapes healthy and dry and help to mitigate the climate, making it milder and more favorable for perfect grape ripening.
In the rugged area of Piorat, vine cultivation was introduced by the monks of the Certosa di Escaladei during the 12th century, thanks to hard work on very steep slopes, often characterized by terraces and dry stone walls. Even today, vineyard work is carried out manually, from winter pruning to harvest. An ancient and ancestral viticulture, passed down from generation to generation, unchanged through the centuries. Precisely for these characteristics, the DOQ Priorat is among the members of CERIM, an international organization founded in 1987 that protects and enhances all areas where mountain viticulture is still present, carried out with vineyards cultivated on steep slopes. This refers to heather viticulture, meaning vines that require many hours of work and are still managed in an ancient way, without any machinery assistance.
In addition to the climate and the slope of the hilly reliefs, Priorat has another characteristic that makes it absolutely unique in the wine world. The soils, in fact, are stony, poor, and very draining. They consist of a crumbly gravel resulting from the weathering of slate rocks, locally called llicorella. Rich in mineral elements, but characterized by a low presence of organicorganic, it is a poor soil that forces the plants to send their roots very deep in search of water and nutrients, naturally limiting yields. The few grapes produced are very concentrated and aromatically rich, allowing for the production of wines of excellent quality.
