MAS MARTINET
"In ancient times, Tarragona was a major Roman colony, and the capital city from which the province takes its name is filled with significant Roman ruins, including a seaside amphitheater. The Romans, and prior to their tenure the Greeks, made wine here, but the "modern" winemaking history of the region dates to the 12th century and the Carthusian monastery, or priory (priorat in Catalan), from which the Priorat area takes its name. The Scala Dei (Ladder to God) winery was founded in 1973 on the grounds of the once-magnificent monastery. For nearly two decades, its rustic but palatable wines were the only ones from the region known to the outside world.
"What has happened in the province of Tarragona over a short span of years is nothing short of mind-boggling. Rather than mere change, there has been upheaval every bit as dramatic as the ancient geological events that created the region's strikingly beautiful landscape. Terraces that date back to Roman times Roman Terraces.
"The surge in quality can be credited largely to five once-fledgling producers whose names are now well known, with some approaching cult status - René Barbier (Clos Mogador), Carles Pastrana (Clos de L'Obac), Josep Lluís Pérez (Mas Martinet), Daphne Glorian (Clos Erasmus) and Alvaro Palacios (L'Ermita). They descended upon Priorat in 1989 to make wine together. Their exceptional achievements caused a ripple effect that spurred the momentum.
"Winemaker Sara Perez of Mas Martinet: 'We can achieve true greatness because we have true grandes pagos [grand cru vineyards] here . . .' Though new oak is still widely used, she endorses restraint. 'Every year, many of us are working to diminish the effects of oak on our wines. Using 100 percent new oak, and new oak that has not been properly envinado [broken in by using lesser red wines or white wines to pre-condition the barrels], is an abuse.' Instead, she uses epoxy-lined cement vats (once almost universal in Spain, then out of fashion, and now coming back), wooden tinos (upright vats) and only 50 percent new oak. 'I break it in by fermenting our Martinet Bru [her excellent second wine] for two months and the rest is second-year oak and 10 percent is aged in the tinos,' she explains." - Gerry Dawes, The Wine News, Tarragona's Powerful New-Age Reds
The wines of Priorat are today Spain's finest reds, and the equal of the best that the French Mediterranean and all of Italy produces. It is a wild region, of steep, terraced vineyards that date to Roman times. The typical terroir is composed mainly of ragged and broken slate (schist, or llicorella in the Catalan dialect), lending a distinct character and finesse to the region's best wines. Vines on the hillside behind Perez's home Perez Grapes Wine making at Mas Martinet is at once simple and brilliant as described by Drew Matich from Pulling the Cork, August 2009: ". . . the bottom line is this: Sara's wines faithfully reflect the grapes of the vineyard in any given year. There are no winemaker games played to optimize or equalize the wine across different vintages. The grapes are blended, fermented, and aged as they come out of the vineyard. And from our tastings, the results were amazing."
Wines Offered
Mas Martinet Bru Priorat 2007 - IWC 90 points - Net Price Item BUY »
Mas Martinet Cami Pesseroles Priorat 2006 - IWC 93 points, WA 92 points BUY »
Mas Martinet Clos Martinet Priorat 2006 - WA 94 points, IWC 92 points - Net Price Item BUY »
Mas Martinet Degustacio No. 2 Priorat 2005 BUY »
Mas Martinet Menut Els Escurcons Priorat 2006 - IWC 93 points, WA 92 points BUY »
Mas Martinet Menut Priorat 2007 BUY »
