The 2018 Scala Dei “Cartoixa” is not just a flagship wine—it is the foundational wine of Priorat. This is the estate that gave the region its name, born from the Carthusian monastery of Scala Dei, where monks terraced these brutal slate hills and began growing vines nearly 900 years ago. When Cartoixa was first bottled in 1974, it became the first wine released under origin in what would eventually become DOQ Priorat. Everything that followed traces back here.

Today, Scala Dei remains Priorat’s oldest and most historically important estate, farming some of the highest and oldest vineyards in the appellation. The vines behind Cartoixa average 65 years of age, clinging to steep licorella slate slopes between 400 and 800 meters in elevation—exactly the kind of extreme terrain that defines great Priorat. Garnacha (about 80%) brings breadth, warmth, and generosity; Carinyena (20%) adds structure, tension, and that unmistakable graphite edge. Each parcel is harvested and vinified separately, then blended and aged carefully in French oak to frame—not mask—the mineral core.

The 2018 vintage delivers everything serious Priorat lovers want. Deep, dark fruit—black plum, morello cherry, and wild berries—layered with violet, cracked pepper, and unmistakable slate-driven minerality. The palate is powerful yet polished, full-bodied but controlled, with ripe, fine-grained tannins and a long, resonant finish that hums with licorella. This is a wine that feels ancient and modern at the same time: muscular, grounded, and unmistakably of place, yet remarkably composed and drinkable with air.

Critics consistently land it in the low 90s, but numbers don’t fully capture what Cartoixa represents. This is Priorat in its purest, most historically honest form—old vines, altitude, slate, and restraint. It’s serious wine without trophy pricing, built to cellar for years but deeply satisfying with a proper decant today.

Why You’ll Love It

• A true benchmark wine: The first bottled wine of Priorat, from the region’s oldest estate

• Old-vine power with precision: ~65-year-old Garnacha and Carinyena on high-elevation licorella

• Serious credibility, sensible price: Consistent low-90s scores without cult-wine markup

How to Serve It

• Decant 1–2 hours to let the slate, fruit, and spice fully unwind

• Serve at ~60–62°F in large Bordeaux stems

• Pair with lamb, grilled ribeye, braised short ribs, or mushroom-driven dishes