Clos Martinet, Priorato, 2016
The lowest of Sara's three vineyards, planted at extremely high density by her father and with naturally very low yields, is Clos Martinet; a blend of 65% Garnacha, 18% Carignan, 11% Syrah and small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the great wines of Priorat, the 2016 stands apart from the rest of the range for its depth and concentration. Glossier, suaver and finer more detailed dark fruit coats the palate, the tannins more like velvet. Opulent plum, blackcurrant, mocha and a trace of supporting oak on the palate, it finishes with a hallmark salty stony character and rich, dark spices. Smooth, dark chocolatey cherries and lacy tannins, this needs time to unfurl and shed weight with a bit of bottle of age. Wonderful.
critic reviews
Saturated ruby. Spice- and mineral-accented black and blue fruits, succulent flowers and candied licorice on the highly perfumed nose. Juicy, sweet and focused on the palate, offering intense boysenberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors that turn sweeter and open up on the back half. The dark berry and floral notes resonate on an extremely long, sappy finish that's given shape by harmonious, slow-building tannins.