Every Sunday, with an educational edge, I explore specific appellations or sub-regions, taking you along for the ride. If it’s old news, then brush up on some fading facts; if it’s uncharted territory, why not learn something new? If you know something I haven’t mentioned, then feel free to comment and share your experiences. Check out past Sunday posts here.

Montsant DO is another region you can add to that sometimes baffling “up-and-coming” category. It’s a new Denominación de Origen, created in 2001, and I had never even heard of it up until a couple weeks ago when it came up as a lamb pairing suggestion (and you’re totally right @yaffler).

Montsant is nestled in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalan, 100 km southwest of Barcelona and 28 km from the sea. Montsant’s “C” shaped body covers 17 villages and nearly encircles its namesake mountain and the high-profile appellation of Priorat DOCa. Although newly labeled, there is nothing new about viticulture here. Before 2001 it was called Falset, a sub-zone of large Cava grape resource Tarragona DO. Before that it was the Greeks, Romans and Carthusian monks. Today, Montsant, which is home to 50 wineries and 2000 hectares (5000 acres) of vines, exports 70% of its wine (largely to Germany and the US).

A great visual tour of Montsant with an intense soundtrack.

The Mediterranean climate is hot, touched by a coastal influence and the temperatures take a steep drop day and night. The soils are chalk and clay, not quite the famous llicorella (slate and quartz) of its celebrity neighbour Priorat.

The reds are deep coloured, powerful and often oak-laden. The bold and intensely fruity rosés are starting to get noticed. Expect grapes such as Mazuela (Cariñena), Garnacha, Garnacha Peluda (a hairy-leafed Garnacha variant with lower alcohol and colour), Monastrell, Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo), Picapoll Negro (a native to the area), Samsó (a Penedés native), Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. The Spanish love their grape synonyms more than anyone. If you were to spot some of the region’s rare white wine (production is less than 10%), it would likely be from Chardonnay, Garnacha Blanca, Moscatel or the Cava grapes Macabeo, Parellada, and Pansal (wow! Xarel-lo is called a lot of different things).

More now than ever, the youth of Montsant are driving the industry. Brothers Joan and Josep who run the 200-year-old family domaine Joan d’Anguera are a great example. After all this time they’re still making adjustments. Joan d’Anguera is an organic estate and expect to be certified biodynamic sometime next year, they’re always playing with and revising the blends, they’ve switched from American to French oak, and they’ve begun to sell a sizable portion of their fruit to other producers so they can concentrate only on the best quality.

Joan d’Anguera ‘06 Finca L’Argata
40% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon

The grape breakdown in the Finca L’Argata shows the modern side of Montsant. Joan and Josep’s late father Josep Senior my have been the first to plant Syrah vines in Spain, a clone from California rather than France. Because of this connection, the boys strive to produce the best Syrah in Spain. The alcohol levels in their five wines are a good indicator of both the body you can expect in the wine and the heat the vineyards see: 13.5% being the lowest end of the spectrum that rises to 16.5%.

The colour is deep with a vibrant purple rim. Bold characters of both milk and dark chocolate, layers of purple fruit, and licorice on the viscous and plush palate. There is great acidity throughout with dusty textured, chewy tannins and a lengthy finish. The 15% alcohol is busting out at times, but not enough to embarrass itself. The wine tastes of modern Spain, with little rusticity. It is great quality and a fresh avenue for anyone seeking boldness in new places. $25-30 in the US.

I’m certain there are plenty of Montsant wines with 100% Spanish grapes which are lighter and taste quite different. I’d be interested to try other styles as well. It is an interesting area that I will definitely keep an eye on.

In BC, there are a number Montsant wines on the market as well.

As always, please feel free to contribute any information, experience or tasting notes that you feel are relevant and check back next Sunday. Check out past Sunday posts here.