Why it matters
The producer
Clos Alkio is based in Gratallops, in the heart of Priorat. Most of its vines are old, and annual production is above 10,000 bottles. The estate's wine plans emphasise old Garnacha and Cariñena, alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Tempranillo.
Clos Alkio also presents a Cava Brut Nature under its name. The Gratallops estate and the sparkling wine belong to different regional categories, with the still wine plans tied to Priorat and the Cava carrying a DO Cava designation.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Clos Alkio's lands lie beside Gratallops and the nearby village of Lloar. The winery is based in Gratallops, while Lloar supplies one of the named vineyard settings in the estate's holdings.
The two village names place the producer inside Priorat's local geography, with Gratallops as the cellar base and Lloar appearing through the Motel parcel planted to Grenache and Carignan.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
All vineyard operations are performed by hand, including winter pruning, green pruning and harvesting. The same manual approach covers the work carried out on the estate's lands.
Fulles Daurades is a parcel of 0.7 hectares planted to Carignan in winter 1939. The winery's ecological program uses only natural products in both the vineyards and the cellar, while the estate states that its holdings receive neither herbicides nor pesticides.
Wines to know
The range in view
The still wine plans centre on old Garnacha and Cariñena, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Tempranillo also named among the grape varieties. These wines belong to the Priorat side of Clos Alkio's work.
The sparkling bottle is Clos Alkio Cava Brut Nature. It is a DO Cava from Penedès, while the still wine plans remain associated with the Gratallops estate and Priorat. The Cava is made from Parellada and Xarel·lo.