Cal Batllet-Marc Ripoll, Gratallops d'Iatra, DOQ Priorat, Spain, 2017

Producer Profile

Marc Ripoll returned to his family’s vineyards in the village of Gratallops to find that they had been reduced to selling their harvests to the local co-operative.

He immediately set about renovating the dilapidated winery, and since built Cal Batllet into one of the region’s most highly regarded estates. Marc is one of a new generation of winemakers in Priorat who are intent on reclaiming the region for their own, focusing on a style that puts the local terroir at its heart and light-years away from the full-bodied blockbusters that once wowed the American critics. An organic approach to viticulture and the use of wild yeasts and barrel fermentation in the winery all come together to create wines that uniquely express the sites they come from – and none more so than the 90-year-old bush vines of the near-extinct Escanyavella grape, which translates from Catalan as ‘old lady strangler’!

Viticulture

The organically certified vineyards are up to 50 years old and planted on the terraces at Gratallops.

Winemaking

A spontaneous fermentation is carried out in vat at a controlled temperature (max 26ºC), with manual overpumpings and 30-day maceration. A soft extraction with minimal intervention and respect for the fruit.

Tasting Note

d’Iatra is very much a reflection of the style of wine made in Gratallops. It is a round, balanced and a ripe wine, which is still fresh and full of fresh red berry fruit and minerals – a great wine, which is mouth filling but full of freshness and balance.

Food Matching

This stands up well to roast meats such as lamb.