In the constellation of great winemakers, few stars shine as brightly or as defiantly as Alvaro Palacios. While many Spanish estates lean on tradition or corporate clout, Palacios has charted his course, blending a deep respect for history with a fiercely individual vision. His name is now inseparable from the rebirth of Priorat, the refinement of Bierzo, and the modern renaissance of Rioja. But the story of Álvaro Palacios is not just about wines; it’s about places—steep, stony, often forgotten places—and the quiet genius of a man who believed they could produce greatness.
A Radical Return: The History of Álvaro Palacios’ Winery
Born in 1964 in Alfaro, La Rioja, Alvaro Palacios grew up surrounded by vines. His family owned the respected Palacios Remondo estate in Rioja Baja (now Rioja Oriental), where wine was both livelihood and heritage. But Alvaro, the seventh of nine siblings, wasn’t content to inherit tradition without questioning it. After studying oenology in Bordeaux and interning at Chateau Petrus under Jean-Pierre Moueix, he absorbed the sensibility of terroir-driven viticulture and the power of place-specific expression.
In 1989, rather than return to the comforts of Rioja, Palacios made a provocative move to Priorat, a remote, craggy region in Catalonia that had been virtually abandoned by modern wine commerce. The vineyards there—some of them terraced since the 12th century—were planted on steep slopes of brittle black slate called llicorella. But few saw commercial potential in a region lacking infrastructure and marketing cachet. Palacios did.
Together with a small group of avant-garde winemakers—Rene Barbier, Daphne Glorian, Jose Luis Perez, and Carles Pastrana—he formed what came to be known as the “Gratallops Gang“. They shared equipment, exchanged ideas, and produced their first wines in the same cellar. Palacios’s contribution was bold from the beginning. By 1993, he had released the first vintage of L’Ermita, a single-vineyard Garnacha grown on a steep, north-facing slope just above Gratallops. Priced and positioned at levels previously unthinkable for Spanish wine, L’Ermita announced that Priorat had arrived.
The People Behind the Wine: Alvaro and Ricardo Palacios
At the heart of this winemaking revolution is Alvaro himself—a charismatic, passionate figure known for quoting poetry, plowing by mule, and speaking about vines as if they were old friends. His style balances romanticism with rigorous viticultural science. He views wine not as a commodity but as a message from the earth, filtered through a human soul.
In 1998, Alvaro partnered with his nephew Ricardo Perez Palacios to launch a new project in Bierzo, a lesser-known region in northwestern Spain. Ricardo, who had studied in Bordeaux and worked at Chateau Margaux, shared Alvaro’s commitment to biodynamics and the expression of soil. Their joint venture, Descendientes de J. Palacios, named in honor of Alvaro’s late father, has become one of the most important forces in elevating the Mencía grape to international prominence.
In Rioja, Alvaro eventually returned to his roots at Palacios Remondo. But he did so on his terms, transitioning the estate to biodynamic viticulture, eliminating commercial varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, and focusing on high-elevation Garnacha, a grape he believes expresses Rioja Oriental’s terroir more authentically than the ubiquitous Tempranillo.
Vineyards and Terroir: From Slate to Schist to Sandstone
The backbone of the Palacios philosophy is place, and few winemakers are more sensitive to the nuanced conversation between soil, slope, and sky.
In Priorat, the core vineyards are located around the village of Gratallops, situated between 300 and 700 meters above sea level. The soils are composed almost entirely of llicorella, a thin, fractured slate interlaced with quartz. Vines here, many of them 70–100 years old, send roots deep into the rock in search of water. Yields are notoriously low—sometimes as little as 10 hectoliters per hectare—but the concentration and complexity of the fruit are unmatched. The climate is Mediterranean but tempered by altitude, with hot, dry days and dramatic temperature swings at night that preserve acidity.
In Bierzo, the focus is on ancient bush-trained Mencia vines, many of them over a century old. The vineyards are located in the Corullon zone, perched on steep, terraced hillsides between 450 and 900 meters above sea level. The soils are varied—schist, quartz, clay, and decomposed granite—and the Atlantic influence brings cooler temperatures and higher rainfall than Priorat. This creates wines that are finer, more aromatic, and ethereal—often likened to Burgundy in their finesse.
In Rioja, the Palacios Remondo estate sits at 550 meters in Alfaro, with predominantly calcareous clay and ferrous clay soils. While Garnacha had long been marginalized in Rioja’s industrial Tempranillo wave, Alvaro believes that it is this grape, especially at higher altitudes, that best conveys the region’s brightness and minerality. All farming here is now certified biodynamic, with horses replacing tractors, compost replacing chemicals, and moon cycles guiding viticultural decisions.
The Wine Portfolio: Iconic Bottlings and Signature Styles
Palacios’ wines form a coherent but diverse trilogy—each tied to a region, each bearing its voice.
In Priorat, the undisputed flagship is L’Ermita, a minuscule 1.4 ha plot planted in 1939, mostly with Garnacha, along with some old-vine Carinena and white grapes like Garnacha Blanca. It’s harvested by hand, fermented in open oak vats, and aged in French oak foudres. With fewer than 2,000 bottles made in most vintages, it is as rare as it is revered.
Also from Priorat, Finca Dofi comes from a single vineyard planted in 1990. Though younger, the wine combines Garnacha’s red fruit and florals with Priorat’s signature minerality and structure. More accessible is Les Terrasses, a regional blend from multiple old-vine sites. With its combination of slate-driven tension and ripe fruit, it’s a perfect entry into the world of Priorat.
In Bierzo, La Faraona is the crown jewel, sourced from a mere 0.55-hectare plot at nearly 900 meters elevation. It’s a haunting, floral, near-weightless expression of Mencia. Corullon, a blend of several small parcels, offers a richer, more structured take, while Petalos, made from over 100 parcels of Mencía across the region, is widely considered one of Spain’s best-value fine wines.
In Rioja, La Montesa is a bright, red-fruited Garnacha with fresh acidity and floral lift, aged partly in large oak foudres. Propiedad, made from a single, high-altitude vineyard, is more structured and serious, with aging potential and a nod to pre-industrial Rioja.
