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Tarragona is one of the largest of Catalonia's wine DOs with the right soils and climate to produce anything from young red, rosé and white wines to others approaching good port in their style and maturity. This was its best-known wine in other centuries.
Today its full-bodied aromatic whites, which make up nearly three-quarters of production, and younger red wines are finding their way on to the market.
This area is also known for making altar wines, which are extensively exported. Falset, one of the area's three subzones until 2001, has now been granted separate regional DO status under the name Montsant and is awaiting national and European ratification.
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Fact file
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CRDO address:
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Av. Catalunya, 50
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43002 Tarragona
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Tarragona
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Spain
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DO established
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22APR47
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Last updated
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22DEC76
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Telephone
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+34-977-217-931
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Fax
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+34-977-229-102
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E-mail
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-
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Website
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-
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Vineyards:
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Subzones
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-
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Area under vine
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-
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Area in full production
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7,280 ha
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Altitude of vineyards
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40-450 m
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Soil types
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From alluvial to loam/limestone/granite, heading inland
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Principal grapes (w)
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Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo, Chardonnay, Moscatel.
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Principal grapes (r)
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Ull de Llebre, Cariñena, Garnatxa Negra, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah.
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Permitted grapes (w)
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-
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Permitted grapes (r)
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-
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Experimental grapes (w)
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-
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Experimental grapes (r)
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-
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Organic viticulture
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-
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Climate:
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Max. summer temp.
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35°C
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Min. winter temp.
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3°C
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Average rainfall
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465 mm annually (Campo); 650 mm (elsewhere) annually
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Average sunshine
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2,600 hours annually
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Production:
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Maximum crop
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Campo: white 10,000 kg/ha, red 8,500 kg/ha; Elsewhere: 7,500 kg/ha
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Yield
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70%-75%
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Equivalent hl/ha
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70, 59, 52 hl/ha
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Production 2001 (hl)
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-
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Production 2002 (hl)
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-
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Production 2003 (hl)
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-
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Wine alcohol content:
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White
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11%-13% abv
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Pink
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11%-13% abv
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Red
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11%-13% abv
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Other
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Clásico min 13.5% abv; rancio min 14% abv
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Ageing in oak:
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Crianza
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6 months oak, 12 months bottle
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Reserva
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12 months oak, 24 months bottle
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Gran Reserva
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24 months oak, 36 months bottle
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Clásico
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12 years in oak vats
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Rancio
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4 years in oak vats and/or bottle
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Wineries:
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Number of Wineries
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45
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Total exports – 2000 (hl)
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25,720
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Total exports – 2001 (hl)
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22,111
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Total exports – 2002 (hl)
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25,720
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