Montsant has only existed as an independent DO since 2001; previously the region was called "Falset" and belonged to the DO Tarragona. The area, which covers a good 1700 ha, extends almost completely around the DO Priorat and is itself bordered on three sides by mountain ranges. Only in the southeast, along the river Siurana, does the otherwise often rugged, rather spectacular landscape open up, becoming calmer and softer.
As one can imagine from these circumstances, the geological conditions here are extremely varied. The vineyards range from 50 to around 700 metres above sea level; the soils of the 16 municipalities are dominated by limestone, granite or slate, depending on the location, but they also keep changing within the zones.
