Blend: 70% Garnacha, 30% Mazuelo (Cariñena)
From: Priorat, Spain

Taste & Critical Acclaim: 93 Wine Enthusiast
Review Date: 03/2024
An elegant bouquet of dried cherries and rose petal leads to flavors of black cherry, Mission fig, licorice, dried thyme and a touch of caramel set into a layer of polished tannins. There is a soft whiff of flinty smoke that endures into the smooth finish. (MD)

Pairing: Traditionally, my mind goes first to simple grilled or roasted meats, cured meats, or hearty lentils. However, because this particular wine showcases floral and pastille notes, I think it’s also a natural choice for more pungent cheeses or sheep's milk cheeses, like Manchego. Florence Fabricant’s recipe for Pork Stewed with Lentils and Celery is an excellent pairing, thanks to its combination of richness, earthiness, and freshness from the celery.

About. Cartuja is a modern-styled Priorat that takes a quick nod to the deep history of the region. Cartuja is the medieval name for the region in what is now Catalonia that was controlled by the Carthusian monks. Priorat takes its name for the Carthusian monastery established in the late 12th century in the village of Escala Dei, the heart of the wine region. All the fruit is sourced from a single estate that is located in the Southwest corner of the region. Cartuja is not made in the same style as the wines that made the region famous in the late '90s and early '00s. This wine is driven to showcase the fruit and the stony minerality of the region. After a very short maceration and fermentation, the wine only spends six months in a mix of new and used French oak barrels of various sizes. This is a blend 70% Garnacha and 30% Cariñena. High toned, aromatic, and fresh; this is a wine that is ideally suited to an evening full of tapes (Catalan for tapas) in Barcelona.