Mas Martinet, “Clos Martinet” Priorat

I have seen the vineyards of Priorat with my own eyes, so I know what José Luiz Pérez must have felt when he and a few other wine visionaries began reviving wine culture there in the 1980s: awe. Both the place and its wines are awesome to behold, and there are a handful of Priorat estates, Mas Martinet among them, that have become the region’s “first growths.” Climbing to the top of Priorat is not easy, literally or figuratively, but Mas Martinet got there early and has only become more compelling under the leadership of José Luiz’s daughter, Sara Pérez. The scores from critics have remained consistently high, as has the demand from serious collectors, but the style of the wines has subtly evolved. As Priorat re-emerged from obscurity in the late-1980s and early ’90s, it became known for luxurious, Bordeaux-inspired reds with an “international” sheen to them, yet while Sara continues to employ varieties such as Syrah, Cabernet, and Merlot, their presence has been reduced—as has the inf