Llicorella Terroir

The DOQ Priorat product specification (pliego de condiciones, November 2021 version, hosted by INCAVI) describes the hilly territory as formed of materials from the Paleozoic era, mainly Devonian and Carboniferous slates formed between 416 and 318 million years ago, and therefore among the oldest found at the surface in Catalonia. It characterises the production zone as having soils dominated by Carboniferous slates called licorellas, with outcrops of hypogenic rocks, in steeply inclined strata forming rocky mountains without intervening valleys or plains, and describes the llicorella itself as laminar, brittle stones of a darkened copper colour. INCAVI states that almost 90% of the subsoil of the DO's villages is slate; the slates differ geologically in some respects, but the soils that develop on them share similar general characteristics. On the naming, Andrew Jefford, writing in Decanter in 2017, explains that shale buried and heated over millions of years gradually becomes slate, and with more depth, pressure and heat becomes schist; he notes that the Spanish term llicorella is generally translated as slate, and that the names shale, slate and schist have fluid boundaries.

• Age: mainly Devonian and Carboniferous slates formed between 416 and 318 million years ago (DOQ Priorat product specification, November 2021).
• Form: laminar, brittle stones of a darkened copper colour, in steeply inclined strata with outcrops of hypogenic rocks (product specification).
• Extent: almost 90% of the subsoil of the DO's villages is slate, according to INCAVI.
• Naming: Stephen Brook (Decanter, 2007) describes Priorat's soil, except on the fringes of the region, as pure slate or schist, known locally as llicorella; Jefford (Decanter, 2017) notes it is generally translated as slate.

According to the DOQ Priorat product specification, the soils are shallow, normally a single horizon, with bedrock about 10 to 15 cm below the surface; they are low in organic matter and formed mostly by the breakdown of the slates. The roots of the vines work their way between the laminar sheets of the llicorella in search of moisture, water and nutrients. The vine suffers, and harvests are scarce, with very low yields of around 1 kilogram of grapes per plant on average. The Consell Regulador's varietals page likewise gives average yields of less than 1 kg per plant. Stephen Brook, writing in Decanter in 2007, reported virtually no topsoil but no shortage of subterranean water, so that the parched roots must descend many metres to find moisture. The specification caps production at 6,000 kg per hectare for red varieties and 8,000 kg per hectare for white varieties. INCAVI adds that the soils' high stoniness and permeability favour rooting and the longevity of the plant, and that the dark colour of llicorella absorbs radiation and returns the heat to the plant, affecting ripening, skin colour and sugar content.

• Shallow soils: bedrock at about 10 to 15 cm, normally a single horizon, low in organic matter (DOQ Priorat product specification).
• Low yields: around 1 kg of grapes per plant on average (product specification); less than 1 kg per plant (Consell Regulador varietals page).
• Heat: the dark colour of llicorella absorbs radiation and returns the heat to the plant, affecting ripening, skin colour and sugar content (INCAVI).
• Moisture and vigour: the specification says soils dominated by licorellas avoid excess humidity, and that the hard ground and dry climate keep vine growth low, which makes for a low incidence of disease.

The Consell Regulador explains that the tortuous geography means many vineyards are worked as costers, the Catalan word for a steep slope, and that in some areas terraces have been built; some terraces are so narrow that there is only space for two rows of vines, so the vineyard cannot be worked with farm machinery. Its varietals page gives gradients of more than 15% in most cases, with some estates reaching 60%, and vineyards from 100 metres above sea level in Bellmunt del Priorat and el Molar up to 750 metres in La Morera de Montsant and Porrera. INCAVI says the oldest vines of the appellation were planted after phylloxera, at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th century, and grow on traditional costers with slopes averaging close to 30%, where all work is done by hand; since the 1990s there has been major replanting, at first on terraces, and the hectares planted on terraces and on traditional costers have since become equal, with a clear trend back to the traditional system. The Consell Regulador's history page calls the Carthusian monastery of Scala Dei the birthplace of wines and winemaking in the DOQ Priorat region, and says the Carthusians were established in 1194 and planted vineyards and made wine in the monastery. The DOQ was admitted at the beginning of 2013 to CERVIM, an international institute formed in 1987 under the leadership of the OIV that unites organisations working for the valuation and preservation of mountain viticulture, and the Consell Regulador says it meets the conditions of 'heroic' viticulture, including orography with little mechanisation and small vineyards often organised on terraces.

• Costers: the Catalan word for a steep slope; many Priorat vineyards are worked this way (Consell Regulador).
• Gradients: more than 15% in most cases, with some estates reaching 60% (Consell Regulador varietals page); traditional costers average close to 30% (INCAVI).
• Scala Dei: the Carthusians were established in 1194 and planted vineyards and made wine in the monastery (Consell Regulador history page).
• Heroic viticulture: the DOQ joined CERVIM at the beginning of 2013 and meets its conditions, including orography with little mechanisation and small vineyards often on terraces (Consell Regulador).

The DOQ Priorat product specification links the appellation's difficult orography, soils dominated by licorellas, the protection of the Sierra del Montsant, day-night temperature swings, cold winters, dry hot summers and low rainfall to low production, small concentrated bunches and slow ripening. It says these factors give the wines concentration, body and structure, and that the white, rosé and red wines of the first harvests show notes of high minerality and freshness from their acidity. Sara Pérez, then winemaker at Mas Martinet, told Stephen Brook in Decanter (2007) that her wines averaged about 14.2% alcohol with a pH around 3.4 or less, and said: 'Our llicorella soils retain freshness and disguise the alcohol.' Brook wrote that llicorella stamps its personality on the wines, whatever their composition. By what mechanism rock type might influence flavour is, in Andrew Jefford's words, one of the key wine questions of our time: Jefford (Decanter, 2017), after a tasting of schist-grown wines, judged soil type an undertone compared with the overtones of climate, variety and winemaking strategy, and reported that schist growers themselves say schist soils, usually acid, tend to give high pH wines.

• Official link: the product specification credits soils dominated by licorellas, among other factors, with low production, small concentrated bunches and slow ripening, giving concentration, body and structure.
• Minerality: the same document describes wines of the first harvests as having notes of high minerality and freshness from their acidity.
• Grower view: Sara Pérez told Decanter in 2007 that llicorella soils retain freshness and disguise the alcohol, citing a pH around 3.4 or less.
• Debate: Andrew Jefford (Decanter, 2017) sees soil type as an enabler of possibilities rather than a clear sensory stamp.

The Consell Regulador's 'The names of the land' classification has five categories: DOQ Priorat wine, Vins de Vila, Paratge wines, Vinya Classificada and Gran Vinya Classificada. The DOQ is formed by 12 grape growing zones, and the product specification sets separate rules for each labelled unit. Village wines cap red grapes at 5,000 kg per hectare with 90% of the vines over 10 years old; paratge wines cap reds at 4,000 kg per hectare with 90% over 15 years; vinya classificada caps reds at 4,000 kg per hectare with 80% over 20 years; all three require at least 60% Cariñena and/or Garnacha (black, peluda or white). Gran vinya classificada caps reds at 3,000 kg per hectare and requires 80% of the vines to be over 35 years old and a minimum of 90% Cariñena and/or Garnacha. The Consell Regulador's register dated 8 January 2024 lists three Grans Vinyes Classificades: L'Ermita in Gratallops (owner Alvaro Palacios, 4.8898 ha), Mas de la Rosa in Porrera (owner Albert Costa, 3.5512 ha) and Tossal d'en Bou in Poboleda (owner Celler Mas Doix, 3.2325 ha). Decanter (2016) describes L'Ermita's soil as schist known locally as llicorella, and Mas Doix describes Tossal d'en Bou as steep llicorella slate hillsides.

• Five categories: DOQ Priorat wine, Vins de Vila, Paratge wines, Vinya Classificada and Gran Vinya Classificada (Consell Regulador).
• Gran vinya classificada: at most 3,000 kg per hectare for red varieties, 80% of vines over 35 years, at least 90% Cariñena and/or Garnacha (product specification).
• Register of 8 January 2024: L'Ermita (Gratallops), Mas de la Rosa (Porrera) and Tossal d'en Bou (Poboleda) are the three Grans Vinyes Classificades.
• L'Ermita (Decanter, 2016) and Tossal d'en Bou (Mas Doix) are both described by their sources as llicorella sites.

Primary sources: https://incavi.gencat.cat/content/dam/incavi/home/normativa/plecs-de-condicions-de-les-do-catalanes/do-priorat/PC-Priorat-DOQ-nov-21-control-de-canvis.pdf, https://incavi.gencat.cat/ca/coneix-el-vi-catala/denominacions-dorigen-catalanes/do-priorat, https://www.doqpriorat.org/en/territory/, https://www.doqpriorat.org/en/varietals/, https://www.doqpriorat.org/en/thenamesoftheland/, https://www.doqpriorat.org/en/history/, https://www.doqpriorat.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GVC_gener2024-1.pdf, https://www.doqpriorat.org/en/the-villages/, https://masdoix.com/en/our-wines/, https://terroir-al-limit.com/terroir-al-limit-arbossar-vi-de-coster/. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/features/priorat-247387/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/opinion/jefford-on-monday/schists-and-wine-flavour-terroir-debate-363518/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/alvaro-palacios-lermita-1993-299678/. Last verified 2026-09-28