2017 Clos Martinet

A beautiful sense of minerality and rocky earth as well as pure black cherry, currants, bouquet garni, and leather emerge from the 2017 Priorat Clos Martinet, which is based on 65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Carignan, and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, with firm tannins and a great finish, this classic expression of this cuvée will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and cruise in cold cellars over the following 10-15 years.

The 2017s feel relaxed, something unusual in Priorat. The 2017 Clos Martinet has seen a change, as they stopped using the sorting table and stopped using the pied de cuve, because the harvest was very easy. They harvested in August—the earliest ever until 2018—and they didn't have time to do anything; so, they put the grapes in the vats and let them ferment, and that's what they have been doing ever since. They feel that there is less manipulation of the grapes now, and that could have helped to make wines more relaxed. This is truly harmonious and expressive, elegant and powerful, not showing any heat—in fact, it's showing very much freshness. 14,000 bottles were filled in February 2019.