The Cartoixa de Scala Dei monastery symbolises the historical birthplace of wines and winegrowing of the DOQ Priorat (Qualified Designation of Origin). Back in the twelfth century, Carthusian monks brought from Provence the knowledge and techniques to develop a viticulture that soon took root and has evolved over the centuries.
The Carthusian domains formed the so-called historical Priorat, which today coincides with the DOQ Priorat wine region. The Carthusians of Scala Dei cultivated the vines and made wine in the monastery, in keeping with a school of work and spirituality.
Almost a thousand years ago, nine small villages appeared on the slate soils dotted around the foothills of the Sierra del Montsant mountain range. Their inhabitants, winegrowers since the outset, modelled the land with margins. After a few complicated years due to the general economic situation, winegrowing has made lots of progress over the last three decades, with wine culture as the driving force.
DOQ Priorat is synonymous with red wines, made chiefly with Cariñena and Garnacha Tinta, along with small amounts of other varieties. They have a high concentration of very complex, fleshy and rounded aromas, rich on the palate and surrounded by very elegant woody notes.
The whites have also become hugely popular in recent years. They're mainly made with Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo and Pedro Ximénez, based on unpressed must and fermented at a low temperature. They have a wonderful balance between fruit and aromas, sometimes enhanced by oak wood. Fortified and rancio wines round off the production of these spectacular Priorat products.
Vinyes de Poboleda is an intense yet gentle Priorat, made with the best Garnacha and Cariñena grapes from the vineyards belonging to the members of the Cooperativa Agrícola de Poboleda, one of the flagship villages...
The Llicorella Pedro Ximenez is a spectacular dry white wine known as the local wine of Poboleda. The DOC Priorat guarantees controls and monitoring during the harvest and during the winemaking process. The wine is...
A Priorat perfect for pairing and rich in nuances. Llicorella is made with grapes from vines that grow on terraces on poor, mineral soil. Most of the soil is made up of siliceous slate, known as the 'llicorella',...
A magnificent, dense Priorat with an unmistakably mineral accent. Llicorella Vitis is made with grapes from old vines that grow on terraces on poor, mineral soil. Most of the soil is made up of siliceous slate, known...
This white wine DOC Priorat is a very exclusive white Grenache. Vinícola del Priorat celler bottles only about 1,000 bottles every year. It ferments in oak barrels and rests for about 10 months in bottle. A laborious...
A mineral wine, different, delicious, elegant and full of life. This is how we could define Lo Bonet, a 100% Carignan varietal that the Vinícola del Priorat celler produces with great care. Although there aren't many...
The Vinícola del Priorat describes this Grenache varietal as "a great tribute to farming". Harvested by hand, aged on fine lees, it is not only a round wine. It is a wine with a lot of fruit, minerality and the salty...
The climate features mild winters with few frosts and a long dry period in the summer months, with temperatures regulated by the maritime influence. Rainfall hovers around 550 mm per year, while the average annual temperature ranges between 14°C and 16°C.
The many hours of sunlight is a very important factor, since the dark slate soil absorbs radiation and the heat returns it to the plant, providing extra sun that affects the ripening of the grape and its degree of sugar content.
The authorised varieties for reds are Garnacha Tinta, Garnacha Peluda, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cariñena, Merlot, Pansal, Picapoll Negro, Syrah and Tempranillo. Meanwhile, the white varieties are Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, Moscatel de Alejandría, Moscatel de Grano Pequeño, Pedro Ximénez, Picapoll Blanco and Viognier. The feasibility of authorising Cariñena Blanca is currently being analysed.
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