Scala Dei Heretge 2016 Reserva del Celler
Heretge is a wine that pays tribute to the vine growers of Priorat. A mountain wine of heroic viticulture that breaks the winery’s traditional creed by presenting itself as a monovarietal Carignan. A heresy that shows us a different path to reach heaven.
2016 marked the first vintage of this heresy in Scala Dei. A starting point that was allied with one of the most extraordinary and most balanced vintages in the modern history of Priorat. The spring rains provided the soil with excellent water reserves in the face of a hot and dry summer that enhanced its aromatic richness. The altitude and orientation of the costers preserved the freshness necessary for slow and impeccable ripening.
The result was a grape with magnificent structure, well-defined ripe fruit and exceptionally silky tannin. After years of slow evolution in our historic cellars, Heretge 2016 Reserva del Celler comes to light from the private reserve of the winery, offering the unrepeatable opportunity to enjoy a cult wine at its optimal point of consumption and maximum plenitude. Very limited availability.
- Robert Parker Wine Advocate: 92 points
- James Suckling: 93 points
- Guía Peñín: 93 points
- Guía Proensa: 93 points
- Guía Gourmets: 95 points
- Varieties: 100% carignan
- Alcoholic content: 14.5% Vol.
- Total acidity: 5.7 g / l
- PH: 3.5
- Contains sulphites.
This wine comes from three different costers (steep slopes): Cap la Serra, Parts de l’Ase, and La Font, all planted between La Vilella Alta and Torroja shortly after the phylloxera plague. Consequently, the age of the vines ranges from 80 to over 95 years.
While the predominant orientation is North, one of our vineyards includes a South-facing section. Parts de l’Ase is the largest vineyard and a true gem; beyond the quality of its ancient vines, it serves as a testament to traditional dry-stone architecture, featuring various historical structures for water management, space optimization, paths, and walls.
The production of this wine follows a similar philosophy to our historical Grenaches at Scala Dei. The core idea is non-intervention, allowing the wine to express the unique character of the terrain so typical of Priorat’s slate soils. Fermentation took place in open concrete tanks, with a combination of pigeages and remontages based on daily tastings.
The wine was fermented with 30% whole clusters from one of the three vineyard sites where the stems reached optimal maturity. It remained in contact with the skins for 30 days from vatting to pressing, using only indigenous yeasts.
The wine was then aged in 4,000-liter French oak foudres for 12 months, followed by 6 months in concrete tanks.