Clos Mogador, Priorato 2021

Located in the now-famous village of Gratallops in the heart of the Priorat hills, Clos Mogador was established in the 1970s by René Barbier, one of the original pioneers of this small but important Spanish region. The steep, terraced vineyards lying at an altitude of 750m produce low yields of grapes which combine power, elegance, complexity and flavour. The approach to the land here is a very natural one – mostly organic methods are used - although the estate is not formally certified as such. It is worth knowing that, at the winemaking stage, Barbier uses an olive press instead of a normal wine press to extract the juice. This results in an even more intense wine from what are already highly concentrated grapes from such low yields.

The estate is one of the Priorat wine region’s original stars with the grand vin having become Spain’s most as sought-after wine - as famous as other mythical wine names of the world – and with a price tag to match. The blend is garnacha, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, carignan and, unusually, pinot noir which adds fragrant notes. It is a rustic beauty of a wine, combining power with finesse, which needs at least several years bottle ageing to come round. With more recent competition from other exciting up-and-coming Priorat wineries Clos Mogador is an estate that has managed to stay at the top of its game. For a wine tourist, Priorat is a wine region worth discovering with its beautiful hilltop villages, gourmet restaurants and untamed...