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Spain's Secret: Terra Alta and Vinos Pinol	Share \|

Founded in 1945 by Josep Arufi, his granddaughter Josefina Piñol and her son Juanjo Galcera Piñol are now at the helm of Vinos Piñol. Though deeply tied to tradition, their winemaking practice is very up-to-date: their vineyards are certified organic, and they practice dry farming and cultivate low yields to enhance the concentration in grapes.

The cellar is located in Batea, a small medieval town of about 2,000 people. The region is 45 miles south of Barcelona, in the high mountains of Tarragona. In fact, it’s the highest DO in Catalonia. It experiences a similar, though drier and warmer, Mediterranean climate to neighboring Priorat, but the soil is predominantly limestone instead of slate. This translates into an elegant chalky minerality in the wines and a distinct vinous identity for this region. A dry wind called el Mestral helps keep humidity at bay. The wines here tend to have greater weight and ripeness than Priorat and Montsant.

Aside from Morenillo, Piñol makes blended reds, whites, and dessert wines. The Portal Roble 2010 is an estate-bottled blend of 50 percent Garnacha, plus Carignan, Merlot, Syrah, and Tempranillo. A Semicrianza, it’s aged for 12 months in barrel. In the glass, it shows a rich vampiric red, with a velourlike texture. The nose is bright with blackberries and currants. The palate exudes notes of baking spice, soft rose petals, and slightly sweet tobacco leaf. The mouthfeel is smooth, with chalky tannins and a long finish on a note of blackberry. Pair with hearty fare such as lamb stew, Manchego, burgers, or carne asada burritos.

Piñol’s Carignan-dominant blend is called L’Avi Arrufi, or grandfather Arrufi--a nod to the founder. It’s aged for 14 months in French, American, and Hungarian oak and has a decided power to it--this wine will drink well for the long haul. It’s dark and inky, and needs a good decant. Its nose is spicy and earthy, with notes of baking spice, black plum, violet, and tobacco. Once it opens up, there are also notes of vanilla, which linger on the finish. The tannins are smooth and the acids are high. This wine wants to be drunk next to a big hunk of meat, unadulterated by anything but olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Though growing conditions are ripe for rich, complex wines, the fact that most of it is consumed locally keeps the prices reasonable. Wines from this region are a stellar deal. Terra Alta is a well-kept secret, with a winemaking tradition that dates back to the second- or third-century Romans. This mountainous enclave of small villages boasts such natural beauty that it was featured in several Picasso paintings. Some of the area’s cooperative wineries were designed by Cesar Martinell, a student of Gaudí, and bring a wave of modernist architecture to the landscape. Vinos Piñol is an excellent entry to this captivating region, with powerful, complex wines that are nothing short of hedonistic.