La Cartuja Priorat 2018
Suggested Food Pairings:
La Cartuja is a unique wine produced in the Priorat region, one of the most prestigious appellations in Spain. Priorat is special due to the unmistakable mineral identity that the licorella soil (volcanic slate) imparts in the wines. When you taste a Priorat wine, you are not only tasting a grape but also a place. La Cartuja was born in 2007 as a special bottling, and elaborated to capture and display the unique mineral character of the region. La Cartuja is an approachable and vibrant wine with a moderate level of alcohol, unlike many other Priorat wines with much higher alcohol content. A wine of pedigree (at an inconceivable price), La Cartuja is a small production cuvee made from estate-owned grapes located in the Carthusian Les Solanes estate. Most Priorat wines are expensive and require time in bottle before they are ready to drink. La Cartuja is a fresh vision of Priorat, a wine that is young and accessible. During medieval times, La Cartuja was the name given to a large geographical area governed by the Carthusian monks. Similar to the Vatican estates, this area had its own code of law. The whole of Priorat was the "Cartuja," a religious state rather than a civil domain. Priorat's winemaking heritage began with the Carthusian monks. For centuries they performed the backbreaking work necessary to care for these difficult and isolated vineyards.
Tasting Notes
Brilliant ruby. Ripe dark berries, licorice, smoky minerals and a hint of succulent flowers on the perfumed nose. Juicy, round and open-knit; a peppery note adds lift and cut to warm blackberry, bitter cherry and licorice pastille flavors. The long, mineral-accented finish shows very good focus and closes on a youthfully tannic note, leaving cherry pit and floral notes behind.
Food Pairing
The peppery notes of this elegant Priorat wine pair beautifully with a steak with pepper sauce accompanied by hearty side dishes such as mushrooms, caramelized onions and potatoes roasted in beef fat and rosemary.
Awards
2016 Wine & Spirit 92 Points.
2015 Vinous Media 91 Points.
2013 Vinous Media 90 Points.
2011 Robert Parker 93 Points.
Grape Variety: Grenache
Country: Priorat - Spain
