Clos Martinet, Priorato, 2018
Perhaps the most refined and delicate expression of Clos Martinet we can remember tasting. A vintage of elegance and freshness, the 2018 exudes cool herbal and high toned floral accents with an undercurrent of dark schist, winter berries and a vibrant, intense mouthfeel. Enormous complexity here and yet so finely honed, attractive from the outset but with all the latent energy to age for at least another twenty years. Stunning and delivered with a modest 13% of alcohol.
critic reviews
Brilliant ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet features fresh red and blue fruits, exotic spices and smoky minerals, and a suave floral topnote builds with air. Stains the palate with sweet, spice-laced black raspberry, cherry cola, star anise and floral pastille flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Shows superb clarity and mineral thrust on the long, floral-dominated finish, which is given shape and grip by fine-grained, polished tannins.
The flagship 2018 Clos Martinet is the wine that started it all and is still a blend of Garnacha (Tinta and Peluda), Syrah, Carinena, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell as it was since the beginning but now with a restrained 13.5% alcohol and higher acidity. Clos Martinet is a single five-hectare terraced vineyard planted with clonal material in 1986 on decomposed llicorella slate, iron and big rocks in the soil. The varieties are co-fermented depending on the date pickedat three different ripening timesin two concrete vats and 200-liter oak vats with indigenous yeast and whole clusters. The beginning and end of the elevage was in concrete, and in between they used 2,000- and 4,100-liter oak vats and some 20% in glass demijohn and amphorae. The wine is subtle and a bit shy, insinuating rather than in your face. There is a lot less ripeness than in the past. It's medium-bodied and fluid, fresh and balanced. This is a very elegant Clos Martinet. 11,070 bottles and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in June 2020.
product details
you may also like
2006 · Red Wine · Garnacha
Mas Martinet
Cami Pesseroles, Priorato
Case 6 x 75 cl£742.73
Inc Duty & VAT
2015 · Red Wine · Garnacha
Mas Martinet
Els Escurcons, Priorato
Case 6 x 75 cl£491.12
Inc Duty & VAT
2022 · Red Wine · Garnacha
Mas Martinet
Martinet Bru, Priorato
Case 6 x 75 cl£167.53
Inc Duty & VAT
NV · Red Wine · Garnacha
Mas Martinet
Ranci Dolc, Priorato
Case 6 x 75 cl£764.71
Inc Duty & VAT
2017 · Orange · Trajadura
Mas Martinet
Pesseroles Brisat, Blanc, Priorato
Case 6 x 75 cl£292.73
Inc Duty & VAT
