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PREMIUM

Exclusive review of the new Priorat classification plus 12 wines worth seeking out

A new pyramid-style classification system has identified Priorat’s top vineyard sites. What will be the impact of the new rankings on the region, in Spain and beyond?

Spain’s DOQ Priorat is the Burgundy of Iberia. Audacious? Not in the least.

Like Burgundy, it’s a wine region founded by monks, holds centuries of history, and has long been ‘vineyard driven’ in terms of winemaking that focuses on singular wines as opposed to far-reaching brands. While its heritage may be shorter, those who manage to craft wines from this unforgiving land have been quick to make up for lost time.


Scroll down to see 12 Priorat wines worth seeking out


As a result, the Priorat regulatory council has broken down almost 18,000ha of land into smaller zones called paratges (‘pa-RAH-jas’), from which they have built a pyramidal vineyard classification.

The list was formally released in spring 2019 and now, two years later, the first wines classified at the various levels have been announced, including three from the top gran vinya classificada category.

Building a better pyramid

Work on this new zoning started more than 15 years ago when the vi de vila village classification was formalised, which operates in the same way as village appellations in France.


Hudin’s pick of Priorat wines: 12 to try

Wines are listed in score order by classification


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