2010 Closa Batllet Artai Gratallops Priorat

(47% garnatxa, 28% carinena, 23% cabernet sauvignon and 2% syrah; aged for 12 months in French oak)

[91 Points] Bright purple. An intensely perfumed bouquet displays fresh blackberry, lavender, incense and vanillin oak. Bright and fresh on entry, with lively acidity lifting and sharpening the black and blue fruit flavors. Finishes long and sappy, with lingering floral notes and excellent clarity.

Stephen Tanzer's IWC - September/October 2013

Cellers Ripoll Sans was established in 2000 when Marc Ripoll, a young man in his early twenties, returned to the Priorat to restore his family's winery in the village of Gratallops. Prior to his arrival, the harvest from the family's estate vineyards was sold to the local cooperative. Over the last few years, Marc has restored the old winery and built Closa Battlet into one of the top estates in the region. While preserving the historical structure of the winery, Marc has updated the building to incorporate modern winemaking techniques, though always in small volumes and in a highly manual way. Its production is based on grape selections from its estate vineyards, some as old as 90 years, cultivated on hillsides with slate soil. The wines made in this way have their own unique personality stemming from the endeavor to convey all the special features of the terrain."