Sometimes it pays to look outside the big-name regions, to find other gems that you might love.

Finding these kinds of wines is absolutely one of the best bits of my job.

Priorat is a wild, high and hot region two hours from Barcelona, not far from the Mediterranean. It’s home to one of Spain’s most expensive wines (L’Ermita).

When I asked a friend of mine, the highly respected wine critic Ferran Centelles, who I should work with in Priorat - Marc Ripoll was top of his list.

Marc is Priorat born and bred, and a fierce defender of the old winemaking traditions that are disappearing these days, in favour of more international, commercial styles.

The new vintages have just arrived, so I’ve mixed a 6-pack of Marc’s amazing wines for you to try. In it you’ll get:

• 3x Cal Batllet D’Iatra 2017 - an explosive blend of Carignan, Garnacha, Cab Sauv and Syrah, but smooth and approachable at the same time. If you’ve never tried Priorat before, this is the perfect place to start
• 2x Cal Batllet 5 Partides 2016 - this is Ferran’s favourite Cal Batllet wine. It’s made from 100% Carignan from Marc’s grandfather’s 100+ year old vines. And Decanter magazine agree, recently declaring it the joint 2nd best Carignan in Spain
• 1x Cal Batllet Escanya-Vella 2021 - For an extra-special (and refreshing) treat, this is made from a rare, local white grape called Escanya-Vella. It’s mineral, pure and juicy, and made in tiny quantities.

These are small-scale, artisan wines, made exactly the way Marc’s forefathers intended.

And with the most important and precious ingredient to make Priorat sing - time.