If today the small and exclusive Priorat wine region is celebrated almost frenetically, then it is due to just a few visionary and highly committed winegrowers who, in the 1980s, began to awaken this fantastic region and its immense certain ageing potential for top wines from its slumber. Until then, it was only the "Scala Dei" cooperative that was flying the flag for this unique region. One of the fathers of the Priorat miracle is top oenologist and university professor José Luis Perez, whose phenomenal knowledge of microclimate and terroir gave other wineries the tools they needed to march to the top. He and his family founded the Mas Martinet Viticultors winery in those exciting early years. He was interested in those high-altitude parcels with very old Sortan Carignan and Garnacha vines, which only produce extremely low yields, but a brilliant must in homeopathic quantities, from which great wines can be made. These parcels are extremely difficult to work by hand, but enjoy the respectful management of certified organic cultivation. The range of grape varieties is complemented by Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell. With the Martinet Bru, which is still available at an astonishingly measured price, and above all with the "Clos Martinet", he has created milestones in the recent development history of Priorat, the latter enjoying cult status among connoisseurs and experts. Both wines achieve ratings among critics that would make many a classified Bordeaux pale in comparison. With the "Ranci Dolc de Martinet", Mas Martinet also proves very impressively that Garnacha can be used to produce fantastic noble sweet wines. Today, daughter Sara Perez is at the helm of the winery and, with her exorbitant knowledge, has been able to improve the quality even further. This has earned her the reputation of an oenological icon and made the winery a Mecca for winemakers from all over the world.
