Montsant

Quick answer: what is Montsant?

Montsant is a Spanish wine region formally known as the Denominació d’Origen Montsant, or DO Montsant. It sits in Catalonia, in the province of Tarragona, mainly within the broader Priorat comarca. A smaller part of its territory is associated with Ribera d’Ebre.

For Australian wine drinkers, the simplest way to understand Montsant is as a varied Mediterranean wine region best known for reds based on Garnatxa—Grenache—and Carinyena—Carignan. It also produces white, rosé, sweet and traditional fortified wines.

Montsant is close to Priorat and shares some geography, history and climate with it. But the two are separate protected designations. A bottle labelled Montsant is not a Priorat wine, just as a Priorat label does not automatically mean Montsant.

Where is Montsant?

Montsant is in north-eastern Spain, within Catalonia. The designation covers 16 municipalities, including Falset, Capçanes, Cornudella de Montsant, Marçà, El Masroig, Margalef and Ulldemolins.

These towns help orient you, but none defines the whole wine designation. The Serra de Montsant—the mountain massif that gives the region its name—is also not exactly the same thing as DO Montsant. The natural landscape and the legal wine boundary overlap in places but should not be treated as identical.

Falset is the most useful regional centre. It is also the capital of the Priorat comarca, which is one reason the geography can be confusing: Falset is connected with the broader comarca and with more than one wine designation.

For a practical map reference, Montsant is inland from the Reus area. Falset is approximately 29 kilometres or around 28 minutes by car from Reus, although travel times vary by route and by where you are heading within the designation.

Montsant and Priorat: what is the difference?

The distinction is important:

• DO Montsant is one protected wine designation.
• DOQ Priorat is a separate protected wine designation.
• Both are found within the broader Priorat comarca.

Priorat is the only Catalan designation described by INCAVI as a Denominació d’Origen Qualificada, or DOQ. That classification difference does not mean Montsant is simply a lesser version of Priorat, nor does it tell you which bottle you will prefer.

The names can be confusing because “Priorat” can refer to an administrative comarca as well as to the Priorat wine designation. “Montsant” can refer to the wine designation and to the mountain landscape. On a bottle, however, the designation is the useful clue: Montsant identifies a legally distinct wine origin.

Climate, mountains and soils

Montsant has a Mediterranean climate with continental influences. Summers are generally hot and dry, winters are cold, and rainfall is concentrated mainly in spring and autumn. Mountain ranges, maritime winds and the influence of the Ebro River contribute to local differences.

The vineyards occupy varied terrain, from approximately 50 metres to 700 metres above sea level. Slopes, aspect—the direction a vineyard faces—and elevation can change how warm, exposed or sheltered a site is.

The region also contains a mosaic of soils. INCAVI describes broad groups including llicorella, granite, clay, panal, limestone and clay-limestone soils.

This does not mean that a particular soil automatically creates one flavour. Soil, climate and elevation are pieces of the puzzle, alongside grape variety, farming, vintage, winemaking and ageing. Two Montsant wines can therefore feel quite different while both honestly carrying the same regional name.

Which grapes are grown in Montsant?

The region’s principal red varieties are:

• Garnatxa negra, or Garnacha tinta/Grenache
• Carinyena, also known as Cariñena, Carignan, Samsó or Mazuela in different naming systems

These grapes are often associated with red Montsant. Garnatxa can contribute ripe fruit and structure, while Carinyena is associated with aromatic intensity, acidity and structure. Those are broad tendencies, not guarantees in every bottle.

The principal white varieties are:

• Garnatxa blanca, or White Grenache
• Macabeu, also known as Macabeo or Viura

Other authorised varieties include Chardonnay, Moscatell, Parellada, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Monestrell, Syrah and Ull de llebre, among others. “Authorised” does not mean every variety is equally common or equally characteristic of the region.

What do Montsant wines taste like?

Red wines are the most common style, and many are based on Garnatxa, Carinyena or a blend of the two. Depending on the site, vintage and winemaking, a Montsant red may feel generous and structured, or fresher and more savoury.

White wines may range from fuller, more textured examples based on Garnatxa blanca to finer styles involving Macabeu or other varieties. Rosé wines are also made, as are traditional sweet and fortified styles such as dolços, rancis and misteles.

The useful expectation is variation rather than one fixed flavour profile. Montsant is not automatically rustic, powerful, high in alcohol or “mineral”. Nor does the name promise a particular ageing method or level of sweetness.

How to read a Montsant label in Australia

When you see Montsant in an Australian bottle shop, restaurant or wine list, treat it first as an origin cue.

You may see:

• DO Montsant
• Denominació d’Origen Montsant
• Denominación de Origen Montsant
• Catalan, Spanish or international grape names such as Garnatxa, Garnacha, Grenache, Carinyena, Cariñena, Carignan, Samsó, Macabeu or Viura

Check the grape varieties if they are listed, then consider the wine’s colour, vintage, alcohol level and the producer’s description. A Montsant label does not guarantee a red wine, a particular village, a particular soil or a single taste.

It is also worth checking that you are not confusing Montsant with Priorat. The names are geographically related, but they identify different protected designations.

FAQs

Is Montsant the same as Priorat?

No. Montsant and Priorat are separate protected wine designations, although both are associated with the broader Priorat comarca.

Is Montsant a red-wine region?

Red wine is the dominant style, especially wines based on Garnatxa and Carinyena. However, Montsant also produces white, rosé, sweet and traditional fortified wines.

What does Garnatxa mean?

Garnatxa is the Catalan name for Grenache. On Spanish labels, you may also see Garnacha.

What should I expect from Montsant wine?

Expect variety. Many reds are associated with Mediterranean fruit, structure and freshness, but the exact balance of fruit, acidity, tannin, alcohol and savoury character depends on the wine.