Scala Dei Cartoixa 2021
€35,00
Produced since 1974, Cartoixa is a tribute to the old vines and the classical winemaking of Scala Dei. An emblematic Priorat that conveys the purity of the fruit and the freshness characteristic of its terroir.
The 2021 vintage followed an unusually humid winter and spring, including the Filomena snowstorm, which left significant water reserves in the soil. This led to a normal vegetative cycle and an abundant harvest under a mild Mediterranean summer. Despite rains in early September, the thermal contrast in the following weeks guaranteed perfect ripening. The result is highly fruity wines with ripe tannins and slightly lower alcohol content than usual. Wines to be enjoyed now or laid down for aging.
The 2021 vintage followed an unusually humid winter and spring, including the Filomena snowstorm, which left significant water reserves in the soil. This led to a normal vegetative cycle and an abundant harvest under a mild Mediterranean summer. Despite rains in early September, the thermal contrast in the following weeks guaranteed perfect ripening. The result is highly fruity wines with ripe tannins and slightly lower alcohol content than usual. Wines to be enjoyed now or laid down for aging.
- Red
- Aged
- Coupage
- Elegant
- Medium body
- Complex
- Robert Parker Wine Advocate: 93 points
- Decanter: 94 points
- Tim Atkin: 95 points (Best Red of the Year)
- Miquel Hudin: 95 points
- Guía Proensa: 96 points
- Vivir el Vino: 95 points
- Guía Peñín: 93 points
- Varieties: 75% red grenache and 25% carignan
- Alcohol content: 14.5% Vol.
- Total acidity: 5 g / l
- Ph: 3.5
- Contains sulphites
Grapes of the region's historic varieties, Red Grenache and Carignan, sourced from old vines around 60 years old planted on terraces and the traditional llicorella (slate) slopes (costers) of Priorat. The orography, the vine training, and above all, the desire to obtain the finest fruit, mean that harvesting is done entirely by hand. The vineyards are situated between 500 and 800 meters above sea level. Each year, the plots yielding the best fruit are selected for separate fermentation, pampering the extraction and preserving the fruit's expression to maintain the high quality found at the moment of picking.
Each plot was fermented separately in small stainless steel and concrete tanks at controlled temperatures. Maceration lasted between 5 and 6 weeks depending on the plot, ensuring the unique typicity of each vineyard was captured. Aged for 18 months in 1,400-liter foudres, 500-liter barrels (bocoys), and 2,100-liter concrete tanks. As we work with Garnachas from diverse origins, altitudes, and soils, each requires distinct treatment during aging. Therefore, we age each vineyard separately in the manner we deem most suitable for its terroir to be expressed with the utmost fidelity.
Medium-bodied with a deep cherry-red color and violet hues. Intense and persistent aromas of ripe black fruits and plums, with a floral touch of violets, intermingle with distinct mineral notes from the llicorella soil, providing a classic Priorat typicity. The aging process adds elegant spicy undertones. On the palate, it is fresh, silky, and smooth, featuring intense ripe tannins, an imposing body, and a long, persistent finish.