Clos Salanca

The Past Inspires the Future

Arriving in the Priorat is like stepping back in time. Nothing has changed in over a hundred years. The villages have barely changed; there are old abandoned terraces covering the hillsides; everything is quiet. And the viticulture and winemaking bears a strong resemblance to the way the monks of the Monastery of Scala Dei worked for centuries making wine. We are taking the skills and knowledge they acquired and applying it to Clos Salanca. We are embracing the Past but looking to the Future.

The Past

Legend has it that when two Knights Templar were sent to the region to select a spot to make a monastery, the locals pointed to a spot where they had seen a ladder to the heavens. In that place they constructed the monastery called Scala Dei, the ladder to God.

The monks ruled the region with a firm hand, but also brought a dedication to grape growing and winemaking to the Priorat. They spent time growing and making wine, looking to see what is suited best to the region.

Over hundreds of years, the monks figured out the best grape varieties for the Priorat – Grenache and Carignan. By the time the monks were removed from power and the Cartoixa looted in the early 1800s, they had covered the region with vines, leaving a legacy that lasts until this day.

The Present and the Future

We grow our grapes the same way the monks farmed – no chemicals, no irrigation, planted in rough and inhospitable slate soils. We tend the vines the same way. Bush trained, each vine on it’s own against the harsh Priorat elements.
The varieties we use in Clos Salanca are the same that the monks felt to be the best – Grenache and Carignan, but we also have a small amount of Grenache Blanc.
While we use modern techniques to ensure top quality, our winemaking pays homage to some of the methods the monks used – no new oak, larger barrels, restrained extraction.
We feel that our wines represent the Future of the Priorat, inspired by the Past.