Vi de Vila Gratallops Priorat is an elegant and site-expressive red wine from Álvaro Palacios, one of the most important producers in Priorat. The wine comes exclusively from vineyards in and around the village of Gratallops, which is the very essence of the vi de vila designation – a village wine meant to reflect the identity of its origin. Here, the steep slopes and famous llicorella slate soils give the wine its distinctive minerality, energy, and precision.
The wine is made primarily from Garnacha with a smaller proportion of Cariñena, and depending on the vintage, a small share of white grapes may also be included in the traditional blend. The grapes come from several small vineyard parcels around the village, ferment with native yeasts, and are vinified in oak vessels, often with a portion of whole clusters to preserve freshness and complexity. The wine is then aged for around 14 months in large oak casks and foudres, adding structure and depth without overpowering the fruit.
In the glass, Vi de Vila Gratallops offers an expressive and nuanced nose of red and dark berries, violet, herbs, stony minerality, and subtle spice. The palate is fresh, dense, and vibrant with fine concentration, silky to fine-grained tannins, and a long finish where fruit, floral notes, and slate come together in a beautifully balanced whole. It is a wine with power, but even more with finesse.
At the table, it pairs especially well with lamb, game, grilled beef, duck, mushroom dishes, or slow-cooked dishes, where the wine’s freshness and minerality can meet richness and savoury depth in the food. What makes this wine unique is precisely the combination of village character, traditional grape composition, and Priorat’s slate soils, together with Álvaro Palacios’ ability to craft a wine that unites Mediterranean warmth with remarkable elegance and precision.
