Nov 3, 2020
There are five founding estates of the Priorat region of Spain.
Mas Martinet was the first and in this show, brilliant,
philosophical owner Sara Peréz discusses its history, philosophy,
and how she sees the land and wines of this magical, mystical
region.
This woman is a role model for us all -- she has found true
happiness in her part of the world, her work, and her life!

Here are the show notes:
- Mas Martinet, originally owned and run by Josep Lluis Peréz,
Sara's father, was one of 'los Closos', the group of five people
and families that settled in Priorat and worked together from 1981
to change and revive the Priorat wine region and make it the
legendary wine it has become (they are: Clos Mogador, Palacios,
Clos Erasmus, Clos de l'Obac, Mas Martinet). Sara runs the winery
and has brought Mas Martinet down new and exciting paths that have
only made the wines more interesting, modern, and terroir
driven.
- Sara tells us about her dad and mom, who moved from
teaching into setting up an enology school and then starting Mas
Martinet after much study of the terroir by the pupils (as Sara
calls them!) to help examine the best soils, slopes, and sun
exposures for each grape type.
- We learn about things used to be in Priorat -- abandoned
vineyards, Carignan growing on the flats, Garnacha on the slopes,
and lots of empty land with few people staying to farm it. We
discuss schist and the famed black slate licorella soil (pic here
from Mas Martinet):
- Sara and I address tradition versus market appeal and why some
French grapes were introduced into Priorat. We discuss the high
alcohol levels (she discusses a 2001 trip to visit Didier Dageneau
in the Loire and her shock at how high he was allowing his alcohol
levels to become. This made her want to make a different kind of
wine).
- Sara's commitment to organic viticulture and holistic farming
rather than using anything that will harm the land is powerful. She
uses herbs as cover crop to stop erosion on steep slopes, she
doesn't spray -- even in the worst of years (she lost 86% of her
crop this year), and she believes that small changes collectively
can stop climate change.
- We discuss the top grapes of Priorat -- Carignan and Garnacha.
Sara tells us how she creates Mas Martinet's three flagship
wines to pay homage to all styles of Priorat:
-
- Clos Martinet is the original
wine made my Mas
Martinet. It includes Garnacha, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, and Syrah and is aged in lightly toasted oak, as it always
has been since her father created the wine.

-
- Els Escurçons pays homage to the
sharp hillsides
covered in licorella slate that were once abandoned when people
left for cities. This wine is their most expensive, aromatic, and
is 100% Grenache, and is elegant and light, as only Sara can make
it in Priorat.
- Cami Pesseroles is Sara's homage
to the wines madeby the farmers who stayed in Priorat after the
wealthy gentry moved to cities. They grew Carignan lower down on
the slopes. This wine has a significant proportion of old vine
Carignan, which is heavy and powerful but still has the light touch
that Sara is known for.
- We mention the Mas Martinet Bru and Menut -- both which are
affordable invitations into the wines of Mas Martinet
- Sara tells us about her winemaking philosophies -- how oak can
mask the essence of a wine, her willingness to experiment with
amphora, glass, cement, and to make orange wine.
Sara Peréz's overarching message is that Priorat is a place of
mysticism, with elements in the land and the soil that you can't
find anywhere else. It is a place that needs to be experienced and
that can bring you great peace and calm, as can the wines when they
are made in concert with the land.
I can't wait to go visit!
_____________________________________________________
Thanks to our sponsors this week:
Wine Access 
Visit: www.wineaccess.com/normal and for
a limited time get $20 off your first order of $50 or
more!
I’m so excited to introduce Wine Access to you. Wine Access is a web
site that has exclusive wines that overdeliver for the price (of
which they have a range).
- They offer top quality wines by selecting diverse, interesting,
quality bottles you may not have access to at local shops.
- Wine Access provides extensive tasting notes,
stories about the wine and a really cool bottle hanger with
pairings, flavor profile, and serving temps.
- Wines are warehoused in perfect conditions and shipped in
temperature safe packs. Satisfaction is guaranteed!
Check it out today! www.wineaccess.com/normal
Thanks
to YOU! The podcast supporters
on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible
and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out
today:
https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople
And to sign up for classes (now for UK and Euro time zones!)
please go to www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes!
Get your copy Wine For Normal People Book
today!