Tarragone Verte Fabiola 1967-73
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Ready to drink now, with virtually indefinite aging potential. These historic mid-20th-century bottlings continue to soften, integrate, and develop extraordinary complexity in the bottle over many decades.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
dark chocolate desserts, blue cheese, roasted nuts
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The 'Tarragone Verte Fabiola' represents a legendary chapter in the history of Chartreuse, distilled during the monks' famous period of production in Tarragona, Spain. Following their expulsion from France in 1903, the Carthusian Monks established a distillery in this Spanish port city, producing liqueurs that developed a distinct cult following. The 'Fabiola' bottling, produced between 1967 and 1973, pays tribute to Dona Fabiola de Mora y Aragon on the occasion of her marriage to King Baudouin of Belgium. This expression is highly prized by collectors for its unique Spanish terroir, utilizing local spirits and botanicals that yielded a rounder, sweeter, and intensely aromatic profile compared to its French counterpart. Matured in oak casks, this historic green liqueur showcases an incredibly complex, evolving bouquet of anise, rosemary, mint, and warm baking spices.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Dating back to 1605 when the Carthusian Monks of the Grande Chartreuse monastery received a manuscript containing the recipe for an 'Elixir of Long Life,' Chartreuse is one of the world's most storied and enigmatic spirits. Handcrafted by the Monks of the Order of the Chartreux, production historically centered in Voiron, France, with a significant period of exile in Tarragona, Spain, before moving to the modern Aiguenoire distillery in Entre-Deux-Guiers. The production process remains a closely guarded secret known to only two monks, involving the maceration of 130 botanicals in grape-based alcohol followed by extensive aging in oak casks. Renowned for its complex herb-forward profile, the house is celebrated for its iconic Green (Verte) and Yellow (Jaune) expressions, alongside highly coveted V.E.P. (Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé) and historic Tarragona bottlings. This legendary producer continues to bridge centuries of monastic tradition with unmatched artisanal excellence in the world of fine spirits and liqueurs.