Catalonia's exciting winemakers

Independent thinking and a fearless vision characterise this region in Spain's far northeast, where many producers are pushing the boundaries in Spanish wine. Meet 14 at the forefront of the action

- DARREN SMITH

Among Spain's regions, with their unrivalled patchwork of terroirs and old vines, Catalonia is often seen as something of an underachiever: a region characterised by the wholesale dominance of big players- of Cava and cooperatives; by a lack of confidence in its winemaking heritage.

Thankfully this is changing. Across the region -a triangle of territory in Spain's far northeastern corner - wines of individuality, vitality and terroir expression are being made by winemakers with a newfound confidence in their own grape varieties and their own land. Typically these are young winemakers who have travelled widely, have studied together, and now work in a spirit of community to learn, improve and promote their region's identity.

REFRESHED TRADITION

Priorat has had its Burgundy-style quality pyramid since 2019 (applied retrospectively from the 2017 vintage), and at about the same time the Corpinnat designation for quality Penedès sparkling wine emerged as a breakaway group of producers from the wider Cava category.

And such moves can only be for the good across the region, as Catalonia seeks to prove that it can stand among the wine world's elite. But arguably a more intriguing story is happening at ground level, so to speak, in the less celebrated regions and overlooked appellations. These are places where winemakers are not so rigidly tied to appellation rules and have the freedom, as well as easier access to old vines and prime terroirs, to create their own legend.

If there is a common stylistic theme for the winemakers profiled - in no particular order in the pages that follow, it is perhaps a pursuit of freshness, whether from earlier picking, or from working with grapes from more elevated sites, or from harnessing Catalonia's enviable Mediterranean climate.