Clos Mogador Priorat 2020

Rene Barbier, a member of a family of winemakers with roots dating back to the 1200s, founded Clos Mogador in 1979. He was educated in the most esteemed winemaking institutions in Bordeaux and Burgundy and has also worked in renowned wineries like Moueix, which produces the Petrus brand among others. He purchased his first vineyard in the Priorat region in 1979, and he soon began producing Clos Mogador, his first wine.

Today, Rene Barbier is a living legend in Priorat. His wines are part of a rare clique whose stunning qualities have become absolutely indistinguishable from their point of origin. When drinking a Clos Mogador or Clos Manyetes, you're drinking the very land where the vines grow. Here, terroir reigns supreme over variety and over man. Clos Mogador is a blend of 49% de garnaxas, 25% cariñena, 16% syrah, 10% cabernet sauvignon. The vineyard is a 20Ha amphitheatre of crumbling slate. The vines are at 350 metres and are surrounded by mountains up to 1,200 metres high and the vineyard’s lower extremes are adjacent to the Siurana River.

The 2020 vintage was a difficult vintage. In spite of the resulting lower-than-normal yields, there is no doubt that the move towards working with regenerative agriculture and promoting biodiversity in the vineyards is creating more life and energy in the vineyards is paying off in the final product. It was a lot of fun to taste this wine and keep going back to it throughout the course of an evening, each time discovering something new in the glass. Though youthful, this wine is extremely approachable and enjoyable now, fresh and bursting with ripe red and black berries. The texture is plush voluptuous, full and the tannins are firm but not overpowering. There is even a touch of leather, spice, and earth which balances out the fruit so beautifully. There is no doubt that this wine will become more complex with time.

The 2020 Clos Mogador comes from a very challenging vintage in Priorat, a year with lots of rain and some fungus problems that are very unusual in the zone, which is usually very healthy. They bought a further four hectares so they could keep the volume despite the difficulties with mildew. The wine is more tannic and a little astringent despite now having any time in barrels anymore; starting this year, it matured exclusively in 2,000-liter oak foudre, and the impact of the wood is milder. A very good result, it's powerful but has good balance. The vintage is more tannic, and the quality of the tannins is not the same as those from 2019, as they couldn't wait for better tannins because of the risk of losing acidity and freshness. Drink 2024-2032 - Louis Gutiérrez, RobertParker.com, 97 Points

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - 49% Grenache, 25% Cariñena, 16% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Country - Spain
Region - Priorat
Vintage - 2020
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 15%