Dara 2018

Tasting note

In the glass, it has a dark ruby color. To the nose intense, ripe dark fruit, oak and slightly spicy. To the palate, silky, medium tannins, good balance of dark fruit and wood with a pepper finish.

About the winery...

In 1978 Pere Sangenís and Conxita Vaqué started to plant vines in the various family properties of Pere around the village of Porrera, DOQ Priorat. These lands were from his mother’s side – the Monlleó family which is by the way also the name of the flag-ship wine of the family.  Sangenís i Vaqué family winery has been making wine the traditional way with new innovative ideas especially since the daughters, Maria and Núria Sangenís are sharing the responsibility of making great wines with their father.

This is also reflected in the form of the wine bottles (stylish round) as well as wine etiquette which now not only includes traditional pictures of the area but also colourful flower designs.  The vineyards are within the borders of the village of Porrera planted on terraces and slopes, formed by the famous “llicorella”, a very slate rich soil. These soils are very poor in organic material and in combination with the dry climate, the production is very reduced but of excellent quality. 

The yearly production is approx. 20,000 bottles of red wine (8 varieties) mostly of Grenache, Carignan - the 2 most wide spread grapes in Priorat - and to a lesser extent Syrah or Merlot grapes. 1 white wine with grapes of white Grenache and Macabeu, approx. 2,000 bottles and a delicious red desert wine of Grenache and Carignan grapes approx. 800 bottles. Various red wines are also available in Magnum (1.5l) bottles. 

D.O.Q Priorat

Located in the province of Tarragona, 130km South from Barcelona, in the southwest of Catalonia. The DOQ covers 12 villages: Bellmunt del Priorat, Scala Dei, Gratallops, El Lloar, La Morera de Montsant, Poboleda, Porrera, Torroja del Priorat La Vilella Alta, La Vilella Baixa, Masos de Falser and Solanes del Mora. Total area has an extension of 15'000Ha, from which barely 2'000Ha are dedicated to vineyards. As per the end of 2019, there were a total of 112 registered wineries in the DOQ.

The zone has eight centuries of tradition of vineyards plantation. There were times of harmony and growth but also of times of people exodus to bigger cities looking for a more prosperous life or the phylloxera plague in the late 19th Century, that destroyed a great part of the vineyards. The constant hard work of the local families has made possible the continuation of the wine tradition.

High temperatures, a lot of sun and low annual precipitation are the main characteristics of the weather in the region. The typical soil of the region is the llicorella soil (black slate) which has a volcanic origin. Many vineyards are located on hills (Coster) with a good depth of llicorella, where vines need to extend their roots to find the scarce water. The combination of the mentioned factors turn into a low and concentrated grape production.