tanca els ulls
Nulles, Alt Camp, Catalunya
Francesc Boronat is a young winemaker who was born in the small, picturesque town of Nulles, in Tarragona, 45 minutes southwest of Barcelona. The village is 20 minutes from the ocean, and his vines are surrounded by olive trees, orange trees, rosemary, and wild fennel. Tanca Els Ulls, meaning “close your eyes” in Catalan, is a reference to the idea of following one's dreams and looking towards the stars.
Francesc comes from a long history of wine growing, most of his family having sold grapes uniquely to the large domaines of the region and to the local cooperative until recently. Upon graduating from oenology school, Francesc worked in several larger bodegas in Spain and New Zealand. He returned home to Nulles to work by his father's side on the family’ vineyard and took over three parcels of the most beautiful old vines of Macabeo for his own upcoming project, Tanca Els Ulls. He also now leases a stunning parcel of Cartoixa de Marina, composed of beautiful 80+-year-old vines facing north, and takes care of the Malvasia his father planted 10 years ago, following a trip to Sicily. And that completes the small 6 hectares domaine, for the time being.
The first official vintage of Tanca Els Ulls was in 2016 and, ever since, each year has been a constant reminder of Francesc’s natural instinct with nature and wine. Every cuvée is vibrant, laced with sea salt, garrigue, and Mediterranean citrus. Sea breezes contribute to finding a balance between fruit and acidity and his work with skin contact and fermentation in amphora lend to incredible texture and tension in the wines. Francesc’s collected way of working and attention to detail make his wines some of the most exciting, complex, and electric in the region.