The rest are differences: Priorat’s apparent consistency is contrasted by the amazing diversity of Montsant’s wines. There is some llicorella (slate, the main soil in Priorat) in Montsant but most soils are diverse: calcareous, silt and sand, clays, granite and many combinations of these soil types. The range of altitudes is also greater in Montsant, as well as the climate differences between sub-regions.

The appellation recognises six different subzones, with markedly different characteristics. Altitudes go from 50 metres to 700 metres. Meanwhile, each year the average rainfall can range from less than 400mm (almost arid) to more than 650mm, while the average temperature can fluctuate from the cool 13.4°C to a really warm 16°C. Many countries don’t even have such a wide a range of average temperatures.

With these similarities and differences, and with such a close alignment, it made perfect sense to taste the wines of the region immediately after I tasted through the wines of Priorat, in order to compile the Montsant Wine Report. Over a two-day tasting, I sampled 88 wines from Montsant to deliver an analysis of the region’s top performers, estates that are increasingly drawing Spanish wine lovers in search for the next big thing.

When looking for the region’s hero wines, most of the production is, for the time being, concentrated in two sub-zones: Marça-Capçanes and Masroig. Even within those sub-zones, the differences are quite remarkable. Vinyes Domènech in Capçanes holds vineyards encircled by forests while Josep Grau’s lie in natural amphitheatres in an area dedicated to vineyards. Both produce great wines. Then, there are extremes as Venus La Universal vineyards in La Figuera, a very cool area that is being revealed as an amazing cradle for great wines. In Between, Cornudella, a large territory with few wineries, starts to show particular style thanks to the efforts of Sileo.

Much like in Priorat, Garnacha and Cariñena dominate. However, the presence of foreign grape varieties in Montsant is more relevant than in Priorat. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and, most of all, Syrah are commonplace. Some of the wines made from these varieties are good but none of them come at the top in this Report. Ull de llebre, the Catalan name for Tempranillo, and Picapoll (the French Piquepoul), foreign but not international, also have a presence with some plantings.

The most important historic players in Montsant are its cooperatives. Their share in total production is quite high. They have been the instrument to keep this region alive for many difficult decades and now release good benchmarks, like the Cabrida by Celler de Capçanes. Very importantly, they hold great old vineyards. It is worth paying a visit to the wineries of the cooperatives at Falset and Cornudella, masterworks of Catalan modernism. Other cooperatives have the potential to raise quality levels but are still not there. During the tasting, I found quite a number of wines with problems (mostly volatile acidity and/or oxidisation) that could be solved in the winery without much difficulty. That means that the average level can go up relatively quickly in this region with a sensible effort to that purpose.

The major problem with Montsant is that the appellation is more heterogeneous than Priorat. While some wines are among the best in Spain and others are very good, an effort is needed to be made with the lesser wines in order to provide consumers with the guarantee of quality associated with the regions’s name. Things are going in the right direction, no doubt, but it is taking time.

I tasted all wines blind at VITEC, a technology institute at Falset headquarters. I only knew each wine’s vintage. Practically all top producers sent samples, a most appreciated example of community values and a sense of respect for the common effort.

I would recommend trying the best Montsant wines now, before they become icons. I strongly believe that several parts of this region are soon bound to become as exclusive as Priorat and for very good reason.