Mas Doix

Mas Doix was formally established in 1998 when the Doix and Llagostera families decided to produce wine commercially from their ancestral Poboleda vineyards, reviving a tradition that began in 1850. The family's historical significance in Priorat is documented by medals won at two Universal Exhibitions: a silver medal in Paris in 1878 and a gold medal in Barcelona in 1888, both attributed to patriarch Juan Extrems Doix. After the devastation of phylloxera interrupted production in the late 19th century, the family replanted with Garnacha and Cariñena and continued selling grapes to the local cooperative until Valentí and Ramón Llagostera set up their own winery in 1998. The name 'Mas' reflects the Catalan agricultural tradition, while 'Doix' honors the founding family whose lineage connects the modern project to over 150 years of viticulture in Poboleda.

• Formally established in 1998 by the Doix and Llagostera families; viticultural heritage in Poboleda traces to 1850
• Juan Extrems Doix won silver at the 1878 Paris Universal Exhibition and gold at the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exhibition
• Valentí and Ramón Llagostera lead current winery operations; grapes were previously sold to the local Poboleda cooperative before the 1998 founding
• In 2019 Canadian Napa Valley producer Cliff Lede acquired a 50% stake, enabling construction of a new winery building designed to harmonize with the llicorella landscape

Mas Doix manages approximately 20 hectares of organically farmed vineyards with biodynamic practices, all situated in and around the village of Poboleda in the DOQ Priorat appellation. Poboleda is one of the highest and coolest villages in Priorat, sheltered by the Montsant and Molló mountain ranges; dry, cold northwest winds extend the ripening season, with harvest typically starting a week later than in Gratallops. The flagship four-hectare Doix vineyard is a steep natural amphitheater ranging from 350 to 500 meters above sea level, with Cariñena vines planted in 1902 and Garnacha planted in the post-phylloxera recovery. The Salanques vineyard is a steep three-hectare site at 350-450 meters with 70-90 year-old Garnacha and Cariñena, while the Les Crestes vineyard holds younger Garnacha vines averaging 20 years of age. All vineyards are planted on the region's distinctive llicorella, a decomposed slate that forces vines to develop deep root systems, yielding less than one kilogram of fruit per vine.

• Approximately 20 hectares organically farmed with biodynamic practices across multiple estate sites in Poboleda
• Poboleda is among Priorat's highest and coolest villages; dry northwest winds produce high natural acidity and extend ripening by approximately one week versus Gratallops
• Four-hectare Doix vineyard: steep natural amphitheater at 350-500 meters with Cariñena vines from 1902, among the oldest productive vines in the region
• All vineyard work performed manually on steep terraced terrain; yields naturally restricted to less than one kilogram per vine

Mas Doix pursues minimal intervention winemaking so each wine expresses the fruitiness, freshness, minerality, and salinity of its specific llicorella terroir. Grapes are hand-harvested into 10-kilogram crates, selected in the vineyard, and then subjected to two further rigorous selections at the winery, including a berry-by-berry pass on a sorting table. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks and open French oak vats by individual parcel, followed by malolactic fermentation and transfer to French oak barrels. The flagship Doix Costers de Vinyes Velles ages 16 months in 100% new French oak and is bottled unfined and unfiltered; Salanques ages 14 months in 50/50 new and second-use French oak; and Les Crestes is raised approximately 8-10 months in neutral second-fill barrels. The 1902 Gran Vinya Classificada and 1903 Vinya Classificada, the estate's centenarian single-varietal cuvées, follow the same fermentation regime as the flagship and also age 16 months in new French oak before bottling unfined and unfiltered.

• Triple grape selection: in the vineyard, at winery intake, and berry-by-berry on a sorting table
• Fermentation by individual parcel in stainless steel tanks and open French oak vats; only free-run juice retained for some cuvées
• Doix Costers de Vinyes Velles: 16 months in 100% new French oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered at approximately 14.5-15% ABV
• Minimal intervention philosophy preserves the freshness, salinity, and mineral character typical of Poboleda's llicorella soils

Mas Doix has earned consistent critical acclaim since its first vintages, with Jancis Robinson calling it "one of Priorat's over-achievers" and Jeb Dunnuck describing their 1902 as "one of the top examples of Carinyena in the world." The 2018 Doix Costers de Vinyes Velles received 95 points from Wine Advocate, while the 2017 vintage earned 94 points from the same publication. The estate's focus on indigenous Cariñena and Garnacha, at a time when many Priorat producers were planting international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, has positioned them as champions of the region's native heritage. Their single-varietal centenarian cuvées, the 1902 Carignan (Gran Vinya Classificada) and 1903 Garnacha Centenaria (Vinya Clasificada), have drawn particular attention as benchmark expressions of Priorat's oldest parcels.

• Jancis Robinson: "one of Priorat's over-achievers"; Jeb Dunnuck: the 1902 is "one of the top examples of Carinyena in the world"
• 2018 Doix Costers de Vinyes Velles: 95 points Wine Advocate; 2017 vintage: 94 points Wine Advocate
• 1902 Carignan has been classified Gran Vinya Classificada (Priorat's grand cru equivalent) since the 2019 vintage
• Estate's commitment to native Garnacha and Cariñena over international varieties distinguishes Mas Doix within modern Priorat

Mas Doix's official portfolio spans two whites and five reds across multiple quality tiers. The white wines are Murmuri (predominantly Garnacha Blanca with three months lees aging in stainless steel, approximately 5,500 bottles) and the more complex Salix (Garnacha Blanca blended with 20% Macabeo and 15% Pedro Ximénez, with lees aging in both stainless steel and oak). Red wines begin with Les Crestes (80% Garnacha, 10% Cariñena, 10% Syrah; approximately 40,000-50,000 bottles; neutral oak aging) and Salanques (65% Garnacha, 25% Cariñena, 10% Syrah from 70-90 year-old vines; approximately 18,000 bottles; 14 months in 50/50 new and second-use French oak). The flagship Doix Costers de Vinyes Velles (55% Cariñena, 45% Garnacha; approximately 5,000 bottles; 16 months in new French oak) is followed by the two centenarian cuvées: the 1902 Gran Vinya Classificada (100% Cariñena from Tossal d'en Bou, less than 1,000 bottles, approximately 425 euros) and the 1903 Vinya Classificada (100% Garnacha Centenaria from Coma de Cases, first released with the 2015 vintage).

• Les Crestes: approximately 40,000-50,000 bottles; 80% Garnacha, 10% Cariñena, 10% Syrah; neutral French oak aging of 8-10 months
• Salanques: approximately 18,000 bottles; 65% Garnacha, 25% Cariñena, 10% Syrah from 70-90 year-old vines; 14 months in 50/50 new and second-use French oak
• Doix Costers de Vinyes Velles: approximately 5,000 bottles; 55% Cariñena, 45% Garnacha from 70-100 year-old vines; 16 months in 100% new French oak
• 1902 Gran Vinya Classificada: less than 1,000 bottles; 100% Cariñena from Tossal d'en Bou vines planted 1902; labeled Gran Vinya Classificada since 2019 vintage

Mas Doix's location in Poboleda places it in one of Priorat's highest and coolest subzones, at elevations ranging from 350 to over 500 meters above sea level. The village is sheltered by the Montsant and Molló ranges, which channel cool northwest winds down the valley, naturally extending the growing season and preserving freshness and acidity in the grapes. This microclimate distinguishes Poboleda wines from those of warmer villages like Gratallops, where harvest arrives a week or more earlier. Mas Doix's founding in 1998 coincided with Priorat's broader renaissance, a transformation sparked in the late 1980s when a group of producers led by René Barbier revived abandoned vineyards in Gratallops and demonstrated the region's world-class potential. Mas Doix's contribution was to champion the northern village's native old-vine Cariñena and Garnacha heritage rather than follow trends toward international varieties, helping to shape Priorat's identity as a region where indigenous grapes and extreme terroir are inseparable.

• Poboleda: one of Priorat's highest and coolest villages; dry northwest winds extend ripening and preserve high natural acidity
• Harvest at Mas Doix typically begins approximately one week later than in Gratallops, building additional aromatic complexity
• Priorat DOQ is one of only two Spanish appellations (alongside Rioja) to hold the DOQ/DOCa designation, the highest classification tier
• Mas Doix has championed native Cariñena and Garnacha over international varieties, reinforcing the region's identity as a terroir-driven, indigenous-grape appellation