Priorat is one of only two DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada) regions in Spain, alongside Rioja. Abandoned in the late 19th century after phylloxera, it was revived in the 1980s by a group of pioneers (Álvaro Palacios, René Barbier, and others) who recognised the extraordinary potential of its ancient licorella (slate and quartz) soils. Old-vine Garnacha and Cariñena grown on precipitous terraces at low yields produce wines of searing intensity, mineral complexity, and remarkable concentration. L'Ermita by Álvaro Palacios is Spain's most expensive wine. Production is tiny — the entire DOCa produces less than some single Bordeaux châteaux.
