Álvaro Palacios

Former Decanter Man of the Year, Álvaro Palacios, is credited with putting Priorat on the fine wine map. His famous single-vineyard L’Ermita is now one of Spain’s most sought-after reds. Álvaro comes from an exemplary winemaking background. He was born in Rioja, and brought up in the prestigious family winery, Palacios Remondo. But his pioneering spirit led him to study winemaking in Bordeaux, which included a stint at Pomerol icon, Château Pétrus. In 1989, he joined forces with Rene Barbier to set up a winery in a neglected corner of Spain not then known for wine, Priorat. Using low yielding old-vines of Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cariñena grown on steep, slate hillsides, coupled with modern winemaking techniques, his ambition to create world-class wines was realised. He has grown the estate to include a range of both blended and single vineyard wines. Not content with his success in Priorat, he also set up Descendientes de J Palacios in Bierzo with his nephew, Ricardo Pérez, and reinvigorated the family holdings in Rioja.