Jose Luis Perez, owner of Clos Martinet is one of the “founding fathers” of Priorat’s wine region. He and Daphne Glorian of Clos Erasmus have worked diligently to put Priorat on the map. I have always been a big fan of Clos Martinet which consistently scores around 94 points but I recently tried this value-priced red and Wow! It’s really terrific. It has aromas of blackberries, and dark fruit with a hint of Costa Rican coffee grounds. On the palate I detect an essence of licorice from the licorella soils, but it is not overpowering. It is laden with flavors of sweet blackberries and has great acidity. The blend of Garnacha and Merlot makes it very food-friendly. Sara Perez, Jose’s daughter and Mas Martinet’s winemaker is yet another woman making incredible strides in Spain’s wine country. 91 Points, Summer Martin, B-21 Staff Selection, November 2010
Deep ruby. Expressive aromas of blackberry, spiced plum and flowers, along with hints of smoked meat and tobacco. Open-knit, attractively sweet dark fruit flavors are lifted by gentle acidity and gain firmness with air. With its absence of rough edges and good lingering sweetness, this is drinking very well right now. 89 Points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Sep/Oct 10 | 
