Mas Martinet, Priorat “Martinet Bru”

It’s important to note at the outset that Mas Martinet isn’t some plucky upstart trying to get a foothold in the market by holding prices down. This is one of the blue-chip names in Spain’s culty Priorat region, founded by José Luiz Pérez during the much-hyped revival of the region in the 1980s. Mas Martinet is, by any measure, a Priorat “first growth,” and it has only become more compelling and influential under the leadership of his daughter, Sara Pérez.The scores from critics have remained consistently high, as has the demand from 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 influence of oak. In her spectacular “Bru” bottling, we have perhaps the greatest pound-for-pound value in Prior