Mas Martinet Clos Martinet Priorat 2020
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Robert
Parker
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Clos Martinet is the Priorat of the 80s. The wine of those who believed in the terroir and devoted all their efforts to taking care of the process, the shape... It is the wine of the generation that precedes us.
Different varieties, from different orientations and locations. Go through cement tanks, demijohns, French oak barrels, foudres and also clay jugs to understand all its complexity.
A deep and warm, tasty and elegant wine. The most classic and recognizable Priorat.
Blend: 55% Syrah, 38% Grenache, 6% Carignan, 4% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
As with many other wines, I had two vintages to taste of their flagship red, which is always interesting, but one vintage tends to suffer in the comparison. In this case, the 2020 Clos Martinet played with a disadvantage, as the year was challenging, with unusual rain and fungus problems, almost unheard of in Priorat. This is a completely atypical wine, with more Syrah (40%, when it's usually 18%...) than Garnacha. They focused very much on saving this vineyard and were able to make a volume of wine (but 50% less than the potential of the vineyard). This is a lot lighter; the wine has 14% alcohol but feels light... It feels light and HAS light.
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Founded in the heart of the Priorat by Josep Lluis Perez and his family in 1986, Mas Martinet’s exceptional achievements caused a ripple effect that spurred the momentum resulting in grand advancements for the region. Since 2001, Josep Lluis’ daughter, Sara Perez has been responsible for all wines produced at Mas Martinet. Today, the wines of Priorat are some of Spain's most compelling, and Mas Martinet remains at the vanguard of the region's top producers.
Sara Pérez is widely regarded as among the most talented and innovative young winemakers, and not just in Priorat or Spain. While her wines faithfully reflect the grapes of the vineyard in any given year, Sara’s skill, hard work and impeccable timing is what pushes her wines into the realm of greatness.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Tiny and entirely composed of craggy, jagged and deeply terraced vineyards, Priorat is a Catalan wine-producing region that was virtually abandoned until the early 1990s. This Spanish wine's renaissance came with the arrival of one man, René Barbier, who recognized the region’s forgotten potential. He banded with five friends to create five “Clos” in the village of Gratallops. Their aim was to revive some of Priorat’s ancient Carignan vines, as well as plant new—mainly French—varieties. These winemakers were technically skilled, well-trained and locally inspired; not surprisingly their results were a far cry from the few rustic and overly fermented wines already produced.
This movement escalated Priorat’s popularity for a few reasons. Its new wines were modern and made with well-recognized varieties, namely old Carignan and Grenache blended with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. When the demand arrived, scarcity commanded higher prices and as the region discovered its new acclaim, investors came running from near and far. Within ten years, the area under vine practically doubled.
Priorat’s steep slopes of licorella (brown and black slate) and quartzite soils, protection from the cold winds of the Siera de Monstant and a lack of water, leading to incredibly low vine yields, all work together to make the region’s wines unique. While similar blends could and are produced elsewhere, the mineral essence and unprecedented concentration of a Priorat wine is unmistakable.