2021 Bodegas La Cartuja, Priorat, Spain
ABOUT THIS WINE
La Cartuja is a single-vineyard wine that represents the authentic identity and flavors of Priorat, made only from native varieties. The wine is made in an approachable style to be enjoyed young while preserving the minerality and explosive blue fruit that is the hallmark of all Priorat reds.
70% Garnacha, 30% Mazuelo (Cariñena). Vines planted since 2002. Tended in llicorella soil at 250 m (820 ft) elevation.
The wine undergoes two days of maceration followed by eight days of fermentation and ten days of extended maceration after fermentation. The wine is aged for 6 months, half in 225-liter and half in 300-liter French oak barrels.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
La Cartuja is a modern interpretation of DOCa Priorat’s terroir that nods to the great history of the region. During medieval times, “La Cartuja” was the name given to a large area of today’s Catalonia region governed by the Carthusian monks, who were responsible for much of the agrarian development of the region, including viticulture. Today, Priorat is one of the most prestigious appellations in Spain, revered for its powerfully mineral reds grown in poor soils of decomposed volcanic slate. Among other accolades, Priorat has the status of Denomination de Origen Calificada, the highest tier of quality in the Spanish appellation system. La Cartuja is a distinct wine with Mediterranean flair but stands out among its peers for its approachable character, moderate alcohol and soft tannins that allow for drinking much younger than is common for Priorat. A wine of pedigree, La Cartuja remains a small production cuvee made from estate-owned grapes located in the Les Solanes estate, which has been farmed since the heyday of the Carthusian monks in the middle ages. This project was born in 2007 as a special bottling to capture and display the unique mineral character of the region in a direct, unpretentious way, finally making Priorat available to all.