Scala Dei Masdeu 2016 Reserva del Celler
Masdeu is a single-vineyard wine from one of the most iconic and highest plots in Scala Dei, once worked by Carthusian monks. It revives the traditional winemaking of the 1970s to showcase the most complex, vertical, and profound side of Grenache, defined by the altitude and the clay-limestone soil of this historical heritage.
This unique identity was allied in 2016 with one of the most extraordinary, concentrated and balanced vintages in the recent history of Priorat. After a rainy spring that provided good water reserves, a warm and dry summer favored a notable aromatic richness, while the altitude of the plot preserved the freshness necessary for a slow and impeccable ripening.
The result was a grape with magnificent structure, well-defined ripe fruit and a tannin of exceptional silkiness. After years of slow evolution in our historic cellars, Masdeu 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: 96+ points
- Tim Atkin: 97 points
- Guía Proensa: 94 points
- Guía Peñín: 94 points
- Varieties: 100% Grenache
- Alcoholic content: 14.5% Vol.
- Total acidity: 5.2 g / l
- PH: 3.4
- Contains sulfites
Masdeu is a vineyard planted on terraces on the slopes of the Montsant mountain range. It is the highest estate of Cellers de Scala Dei, reaching 650 meters at its highest point. Geologically, it presents a fascinating trait: red clay dominates the base, but the mineral composition changes as the altitude increases, culminating in an upper level formed entirely of limestone rocks. With a southeast orientation and planted in 1945, this site keeps alive the legacy of the Carthusian monks, who were already growing Grenache here centuries ago.
With this wine, we sought to recover a winemaking heritage from Priorat that traces back to the first bottlings of Cellers de Scala Dei. After researching how those 1970s bottles were crafted, we vinified Masdeu.
Harvest took place during the third week of October, using small crates and 100% stems during fermentation, though the grapes were crushed (not whole). It was fermented in a small 3,500-liter concrete tank, mimicking the temperature peaks typical of last century's fermentations, without added yeasts and pressing directly in the concrete vat. The wine was aged for 15 months in a concrete tank and a French oak foudre.