Scala Dei Sant Antoni

The Paris Universal Exposition of 1878 was an important event exhibiting technological advances, products and cultural items from all over the world. However, when it comes to wines, the Paris Exposition of 1878 was particularly important for the French wine industry. It was at this exhibition that the first bottles of Priorat wine (Catalonia) were presented and the international response was so positive that it received a gold medal for quality. This was an important milestone for the region and helped establish its reputation as a high quality wine region. Scala Dei was responsible for this, a winery that has held and carried the entire winemaking legacy of the monks of this Carthusian monastery since 1263. The current owners (the Codorniu Group) have strived to maintain this with wines of deep, concentrated character and great complexity that reflect the influence of the slate soil and the region’s Mediterranean climate.

Their Scala Dei Sant Antoni wine is a single-variety red Grenache made from exceptional vines planted in the slate soil that is so characteristic of the DOQ Priorat. These are old vines lying between 400 and 800 metres above sea level and in different orientations. When the grapes reach optimum ripeness, they are carefully harvested in small boxes. Then, in the winery, all of the stems are crushed and fermented at a controlled temperature in 3,500 litre cement tanks, followed by 14 months in 1,400 litre used foudres, and finally a further year in the bottle to complete its refinement.

Based on a historical legacy that has travelled and been recognised around the world, Scala Dei Sant Antoni is a very good letter of introduction to the DOQ Priorat. Depth, power and elegance that has been preserved over time.