Despite its ancient Roman history, Priorat wine in the modern era was largely forgotten, and its vineyards mostly abandoned, until a handful of producers led a comeback. In 1979, René Barbier, a native of Tarragona, convinced a band of like-minded aspirants to join him in exploring the rocky bluffs of Priorat. Having trained in Burgundy and worked in Alsace and Bordeaux, Barbier introduced the concept of the clos (small, enclosed, walled-in vineyard) and soon this handful of dreamers had their own mini-estates bearing names Clos Mogador, Clos Erasmus, Clos de l’Obac and Clos Martinet. José Luiz Pérez was one of Barbier’s original Priorat crew and he established Mas Martinet in 1989. “Clos Martinet” is the flagship wine from their 15-hectare estate in the village of Gratallops. Since 2001, Sara Pérez has managed all activity and guided their entire estate holdings to fully organic viticulture since 2008.
A warm, but balanced and generally excellent vintage in Priorat delivered a super classic Clos Martinet. With a healthy chunk of Carignan, the 2005 is both powerful and yet surprisingly lifted, with a core of saline, slate driven minerals at its core. Decant for about 30 minutes and serve in a large Bordeaux stem and you’ll immediately notice a vibrant, deep garnet hue that has only hints of brick at the rim. Rich, red and black forest berries combine with wild strawberries, red plums, lavender, rosemary, paprika, leather, sage, and hints of smoked meat. Already in a peak drinking window, this stupendous rendition of a classic will continue to improve for five or more years. Enjoy!
