Approved as a DO at a regional level in autumn 2001, this young denomination has rapidly acquired considerable prestige. The vineyards fall in spectacularly beautiful hilly country, sharing the slopes with almond and olive groves and pines. The land forms a horseshoe around Priorato, but the wines here have a clear identity of their own. Production is divided between cooperatives and family bodegas, which are often advised by locally trained young oenologists.
