CLOS MOGADOR/CLOS MANYETES

RENE BARBIER FILS

GRATALLOPS, PRIORAT

What the critics are saying:

“…stunning examples of what Spain can produce but so rarely does.” Robert Parker

"Rene Barbier was the driving force behind the revival of Priorat. Though his demeanor suggests a hippie or a prospector, this wine, a blend of garnacha, cabernet sauvignon, syrah and carinena, is suave and sophisticated. Clos Mogador, Gratallops - owned by Rene Barbier, one of the leading lights of the Gratallops group, and his son. Produces only one wine, Clos Mogador, 40 per cent grenache, 35 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 20 per cent syrah and small quantities of pinot noir, merlot and mourvèdre, an eclectic mixture but what a wine it produces." The Wine Spectator

"Gratallops wines are amongst the most stunning in all of Spain. The 'Gratallops pioneers' proved beyond doubt that garnacha and cariñena are perfectly capable of producing highly complex, quality wine - as long as yields are low. The result is that Gratallops wines are amongst the most stunning in all of Spain: their concentration and character are outstanding as is their price." John Radford, The New Spain

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. These are wines of intense, complex fruit, rich texture and velvety tannins, freshened by llicorella (slate) driven minerality. Continuing a run of brilliant vintages, the 2008’s have arrived and they offer what we love about Barbier’s wines; a stony resoluteness, depth and intensity, purity and refinement (in the context of Priorat). As the tasting notes and scores below indicate, these are very special wines. By the way, if you think Priorat makes wines that are too rich for you, then you need to drink some mature Clos Mogador. With age, these wines develop the kind of elegance and deliciousness that is normally associated with the greatest mature Bordeaux or Barolo.

Many will already be aware that René Barbier, is one of the “Gratallops pioneers” behind the rebirth of Priorat and that his Clos Mogador and Clos Manyetes are two of Spain’s greatest wines. These are powerful yet stylishly elegant reds, offering amazing consistency and class year after year. Both the reds being offered below are true to form: brilliant examples of the complex, full bodied style of Priorat and Gratallops in particular. Clos Manyetes is Barbier’s is the equal of Mogador in quality yet provides a wonderful contrast as it is made almost exclusively from old vine Cariñena (Carignan). Both wines are considerably more refined than just about all other Priorat’s that we know of. Today, Rene’s son, René Barbier Jr, is working very closely with his father and we have seen an immediate impact. In short, there has been a deal of evolution with the white (Nelin) and the reds seem to have obtained yet another level of class. How much this has specifically to do with Rene Jr’s involvement we cannot be sure, but this highly intelligent and passionate young man has clearly brought additional energy and creativity to his family’s Domaine.  

There is little dirt in Priorat. What drew Barbier to the region was the abundance of old vines and the remarkable terroir. The soil, except on the fringes of the region, is pure slate or schist, known locally as llicorella, with virtually no topsoil. Despite the dry, rocky soils, there is no shortage of subterranean water; so even though the vines’ roots must descend many metres, they can always find sufficient moisture to keep them alive. They are, in essence, mining llicorella, which feeds mineral rich liquid into their thirsty root systems. When Barbier first came to Priorat there were only 600ha (hectares) of vines. Now there are nearly three times as many, but it is still some way short of the 5,000ha that thrived here before the region succumbed to phylloxera in the late 1800s. Barbier’s vines are made to suffer in the extremely poor slate soil and rough climate. There is no irrigation, so the roots are left to search for water, only found at a depth of 25 metres, no chemicals or synthetic fertilisers are used and wild herbs and plants grow between the vines. The result of the remarkably small yields (average yield is a miniscule 9 hectolitres per hectare) is an enormous concentration of flavour and minerality. Production is extremely limited because of the terrain and the economics of making wine from small plots of very low yielding vines, partially accounting for the high prices. There is good news however: the strength of the AU dollar has resulted in significantly lower (roughly 20%) pricing for this year’s release. Barbier has 18ha of vines, but only 18,000 vines, and the average production is a tiny 600 dozen.

Clos Manyetes: Rene Barbier's Priorat, Clos Mogador, is now firmly established as one of the greatest wines of Spain. Less well known (perhaps because only 750 cases are produced) is that Barbier produces another red Priorat from an ancient vineyard called Clos Manyetes.
The dedication and care that goes into the production of Mogador is also lavished on Manyetes (hence Barbier sells it for a similar price). While the wine comes from a separate vineyard, it is made side by side with its sibling at Barbier’s Clos Mogador winery. Perhaps the biggest differences are the age of the vines and the blend of grapes: Manyetes is a more traditional blend of native varieties- mostly Cariñena (Carignan), typically 70%, though as much as 90% in 2008 and the balance is Garnacha, all from 80+ year old vines. Some would argue this classic Mediterranean blend is a more authentic expression of Priorat. It is certainly more traditional. Dominated as it is by local varieties from ancient vines, the 2008 Manyetes offers immense complexity, power, spiciness, minerality and depth of flavour. The old vine Carignan brings its expressive and distinctive inky, savoury fruit and fresh tannins, the Garnacha providing a long, gently perfumed finish. Absolutely delicious, this is a stunning, highly authentic Priorat of the highest order.