Montsant
The Denominación de Origen (D.O.) of Montsant [mont-SANT] was created in 2001, carved out of the much larger D.O. of Tarragona. It virtually encircles the famed Priorat D.O.
The Montsant region is a few hours drive southwest of Barcelona and only a few miles from the Mediterranean. The landscape, like Priorat, is rugged and stony, with centuries-old hand-hewn terraces climbing the steep mountain sides.
The climate is Mediterranean, although the steep Montsant Range, for which the D.O. is named, stands between the sea and the vineyards.
The winemaking history of Montsant begins with the Romans, who settled on the coasts of Tarragona more than 2,000 years ago.
Although there are many similarities between Montsant and Priorat, there are some key differences. The soils of Montsant are somewhat more sandy and calcareous, while in the Priorat, black slate soils dominate.
