2009 Els Escurcons

From one of the highest vineyards in Priorat at 600 metres, the outstanding 2009 Els Escurcons is a pure Garnacha grown on llicorella (slate) soils with a higher ferrous content, its red tinge indicating abundant oxygen in the soil. The nose is very powerful, with layers of blackberry, briary, hot slate and a touch of white pepper. Like Mas Martinet’s other 2009s, it demands coaxing from the glass but it is worth the wait. The palate is beautifully balanced with immense succulence and intensity counterbalanced by crisp, driving acidity that lends it great verve and what I describe as “controlled opulence.” There are layers of pure, macerated black cherries and cassis caressing the satin-like finish. This wine is bestowed with superb persistency, the acidity and definition urging you to take another sip, and bridled with a sense of vitality and animation that is entrancing. Drink 2014-2025+. When making a maiden visit to a wine region and knocking on the door of properties, there will always been one that stands out from the rest. There will be one where the wine enraptures and stimulates the senses unlike any other and offers food for thought long after you have departed with renewed spring in your step. On this occasion, it was Mas Martinet. My senses were almost overwhelmed by the thrilling wines and winemaker Sara Perez’s passionate explanation of her philosophies, which challenge the status quo in Priorat. Now here’s a winemaker thinking outside the box. Her father, Jose Luis Perez, one of the pioneers of Priorat, stood by her side in silence, not wishing to interrupt his daughter’s flow. I wonder whether he envisaged the heights that Mas Martinet would achieve all those years ago? I asked whether Sara’s approach differs from her husband, Rene Barbier of Clos Mogador fame (she pointed out, the younger Rene of the family!) Sara replied that there is a divergence in opinion of when to pick, Rene “Senior” preferring the latest date, Sara the earliest and her husband somewhere in the middle. Who is right? Well, why should there be a single interpretation? Then again, I thought the wines of Mas Martinet demonstrated their terroir with more clarity than any other Priorat winery in 2009 and 2010. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800