Historic Priorat producer in Escaladei, with organic vineyards, separate lot fermentation and wine aged in the monks’ seventeenth century cellar.
The producer
Cellers Scala Dei is based in Escaladei. The Carthusian Monastery of Scala Dei was founded in 1194, and the producer dates the monks’ first wines to 1263. The estate farms about 70 hectares across 41 properties, with Garnacha accounting for 70% of the vineyard area. Its vineyards are farmed organically with natural ecological treatments, and sheep manure is used as fertilizer instead of chemical fertilizer. Harvest is manual in 20 kilogram boxes, with a second grape selection at the winery. Each vineyard lot ferments separately, and wine is still aged in the monks’ seventeenth century cellar.
Known for
Priorat wines from a monastic cellar
Notable facts
The Carthusian Monastery of Scala Dei was founded in 1194.
Cellers Scala Dei was refounded in 1974 and released what it calls the first modern Priorat wines.
The estate cultivates about 70 hectares divided among 41 properties, with Garnacha accounting for 70%.
Wine is still aged in the monks’ seventeenth century cellar.
The story
The Paris Gold Medal
In 1878, the winery sent what it identifies as the first bottled Priorat wine to the Universal Exhibition in Paris. The bottles won a gold medal. The shipment followed the departure of the monks in 1835, when five families acquired the monastery and its lands, then founded Sociedad Agrícola La Unión in 1844. Cellers Scala Dei was refounded in 1974 and launched the first modern Priorat wines on the market. The 1878 bottles left the winery decades before the refounding and received their gold medal in Paris.
From the atlas
Cellers Scala Dei
Cellers Scala Dei is an Escaladei producer. Its wine history includes a Carthusian monastery and Priorat bottles.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Region
Priorat
Base
Escaladei
Vineyard scale
About 70 hectares in 41 properties
Main grape
Garnacha, 70% of vineyard area
Farming
Organic cultivation with natural ecological treatments
Named wines
Scala Dei Prior, Cartoixa and Masdeu
The Producer
The Carthusian Monastery of Scala Dei was founded in 1194, and the producer dates the monks’ first wines to 1263. After the monks left in 1835, five families acquired the monastery and its lands, then founded Sociedad Agrícola La Unión in 1844.
Cellers Scala Dei was refounded in 1974 and released what it calls the first modern Priorat wines. Ricard Rofes is both winery head and winemaker. Scala Dei also helped reintroduce stem fermentation and ageing in large foudres rather than 225 litre Bordeaux barrels to Priorat. Stem fermentation keeps whole bunch stems with the grapes and can add spice and tannin. Large foudres provide a larger ageing vessel than a small Bordeaux barrel.
Place
Escaladei is the town given in the winery’s address, Rambla Cartoixa, s/n, postcode 43379. The bottles carry Priorat as the wine name. In 1878, the first bottles of Priorat wine left this winery for the Universal Exhibition in Paris and won a gold medal. Wine is still aged in the monks’ seventeenth century cellar.
Wines
The range includes Scala Dei Prior, Cartoixa and Masdeu. Cartoixa 2021 brings crushed berry, plum, raspberry and gentle earthy nuance, with a smooth texture and lingering dark fruit on the finish. Each vineyard lot ferments separately, and no external product is added during fermentation.
Final Word
Harvest is manual into 20 kilogram boxes. Clusters that do not meet the winery’s requirements are discarded in the field, followed by another grape selection at the winery.