The new vintage of our most iconic wine, Vinya La Scala Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva 2018, has arrived —and this year it comes adorned with a work that pays tribute to Mediterranean culture through the artistic vision of Assumpció Mateu, the renowned painter from Girona.
As many of you know, this wine is the flagship of the winery and is bottled only in exceptional harvest years. Each vintage invites a different artist to illustrate the label, turning every bottle into a unique piece where content and container come together. In 2018, the poetic and symbolic gaze of Assumpció Mateu is what dresses this edition.
An ode to the Mediterranean
The selected artwork is a true ode to the Mediterranean. In it, Mateu blends calligraphies, ancestral traces, and the symbol of the bridge —a metaphor for union and dialogue between cultures. Deep navy blues merge with earthy tones and textured surfaces made with natural pigments, acrylics and marble dust, giving the piece an aura of mystery and sublime beauty.
A work that invites us to pause, contemplate and connect with the memory of our landscape.
Discovering Assumpció Mateu
Assumpció Mateu (Girona, 1952) is a visual artist with a distinguished career, whose work maintains a profound connection with nature, memory and the Mediterranean landscape. Trained at the Escola Superior de Belles Arts Sant Jordi and a Doctor in Fine Arts, her artistic language has evolved between Catalonia, Paris, New York and Lebanon, with exhibitions in institutions such as Fundació Vila Casas, Musée Würth La Rioja and Fondation Vasarely.
Her style is defined by a poetic, introspective and strongly material approach. Through mixed techniques —painting, photography, paper and textures created with natural pigments, acrylics and marble dust— she generates surfaces that evoke memory, imprint and time.
The artwork chosen for Vinya La Scala 2018 fits perfectly within this creative universe: an exploration of Mediterranean culture through calligraphies, symbols and ancestral traces. The bridge, a recurring motif in her work, expresses union and the passage between cultures. This label turns the 2018 vintage into a tribute to her visual language and her unique understanding of art as a space of connection.
A limited edition
Jean Leon Vinya La Scala is much more than an organic, limited-production cabernet sauvignon; it is the ultimate expression of a unique terroir and a tradition that began in 1963. It comes from an 8-hectare plot of clay-limestone and sandy soils with gravel, planted by Jean Leon and winemaker Jaume Rovira, and it is certified as a Single Vineyard Wine (Vi de Finca Qualificada) —the highest distinction granted in Catalonia.
The 2018 vintage was marked by abundant rainfall and moderate temperatures, with a cool and humid spring followed by a warm summer. The wine ages for a minimum of 24 months in French oak barrels and at least 3 years in bottle, allowing it to reach maximum complexity and elegance.
The result is a wine that is intense and deep on the nose, with ripe black fruit, elegant spices and balsamic notes that bring freshness. The toasted notes from the barrel ageing add sophistication and aromatic richness. On the palate it is silky and concentrated, with round, well-integrated tannins that enhance its balance and structure.
A long, complex and exquisitely elegant wine.
The 2018 vintage has been awarded:
- 95 points – Guía Gourmets
- 93 points – James Suckling
- Gold Medal – Mundus Vini
A dialogue between wine and art
Jean Leon’s link with art began in the late 1970s, when special vintages of Vinya La Scala started to feature artwork on their labels. During the 1990s this evolved into a tradition, transforming each bottle into a collectible piece that pays homage to the historic La Scala restaurant in Beverly Hills, owned by Jean Leon and frequented by Hollywood’s greatest stars.
Artists such as Subirachs, Tàpies, Hernández Pijuán, Maczassek, Mariscal, Guinovart and Rosell have contributed their vision to this Gran Reserva, consolidating its identity as a symbol of the union between wine and art.
With its tribute to the Mediterranean and to the work of Assumpció Mateu, the 2018 vintage not only celebrates this fusion but also reminds us of the importance of our cultural and winemaking roots.
