KA

9.3

The Grill NYC — 11 days ago

Andy@andyberke.com

9.3

So much character. Cherry and slate from the soil — 3 months ago

Anthony De Blasi

9.4

Terrific white from Clos Mogador. Very complex, a bit of reduction. Nice! — 9 months ago

Vanessa

9.3

This is a stunning Garnatxa blend from Priorat (Catalonia), Spain!!

It’s comprised of mostly Garnatxa (Grenache), along with Syrah, and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from three parcels in the sun-soaked village of Gratallops, where Daphne Glorian purchased her first vineyard – Clos Escales – back in 1989 when she founded Clos i Terraces. 🍇

In making this move, she joined equally passionate and pioneering winemakers Álvaro Palacios (L’Ermita) and René Barbier (Clos Mogador) in a rebirth of production practices in the region; as a group (with other similar-minded producers) they altered the trajectory of Priorat’s profile as a source of tip top quality wines rivaling the best on the world stage. 👏🏻

Priorat is one of only two regions carrying the “DOCa” / “DOQ” quality designation (the other is Rioja), subject to various stipulations including regular auditing by a tasting panel. ✅

This particular wine is “Laurel” which is Clos i Terraces’s second wine, next to Clos Erasmus, one of Priorat’s finest and most sought-after wines. Yet it tastes like a flagship wine in and of itself.🫶🏻🫶🏻

It is absolutely beautiful, with a medium ruby hue, medium (+) intensity of ripe and fresh strawberry, red cherry, red plum, violet, black licorice, fennel, clove, baking spice aromas and flavors. It’s dry, with medium(+) acidity, a medium(+) body, high alcohol (14% ABV), and medium tannins that are fine-grained. 😆

This wine vinified and aged in a combination of vessels, including, large oak vats, concrete tanks, second and third fill French oak barrels, and clay amphorae, lending to its texture and complexity.👌🏻👌🏻
— 2 years ago

Edo Wachters

9.3

The 2017 Gratallops Partida Bellvisos Blanc is a wine from the Priorat couple René Barbier Meyer (Clos Mogador) and Sara Pérez (Mas Martinet). It's a blend of Garnacha Blanca, Trepat Blanco and Viura (Macabeo) from 65-year-old vines. The appearance is coppery white close to rose, but no oxidation. It’s a powerful wine, ripe, spicy and some anise. — 4 years ago

Martinez

9.1

Flagship wine from Venus La Universal, one of Montsant’s most exciting producers, led by husband and wife team René Barbier (Clos Mogador) and Sara Pérez (Mas Martinet). Elegant blend of Garnatxa (50%), Cariñena/Carignan (40%) and Syrah (10%) from organically farmed vineyards on clay-calcareous soils between Marçà and Guiamets, in Southern Catalonia. Juicy, sensual. Red fruit and balsamic notes. — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Aromas of dried meat, liquorice and chocolate, cherries and plums. On the palate savoury yet sweet. Red and black fruits - a rich palate and very enjoyable. Ticks a lot of boxes and I loved visiting the winery in 2023 for a tasting with the family. — 2 months ago

Anthony De Blasi

9.4

Confirming the previous 2 bottles. Elegant, aromatic and juicy. — 3 months ago

Edo Wachters

9.5

La Vinya del Vuit (Vuit is 8 in Spanish) is a project of 8 Priorat producers started many years ago and still woking together closely to produce an excellent Priorat based on mutual efforts. The 8 comprise amongst others Sara Pérez (Mas Martinet, Venus Universal), René Barbier (Clos Mogador), Ester Nin (Nit de Nin) and 5 other producers from Gratallops. The wine label changes with each vintage, and always takes a shape in some form of an 8. The wine comes from one vineyard shared by the 8 friends, called Coll de Falset, near Gratallops. The vineyard produces very low yields (between 8 and 10 vines are needed for each bottle of wine) and as a result a very concentrated wine, mostly made with Carinyena, although there are many Garnatxa grapes in the vineyard. Only 800 bottles were produced of the 2012 wine. The result is a remarkable Priorat, very concentrated, lots of dark red fruit, very balanced, with some earthiness and minerality. Fantastic! — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Delectable this is a 100% Carignan made by Clos Mogador. This is actually the back label but the front label makes the wine even less recognisable. At Clos Mogador for a structured tasting - this is the first of 4 wines. Aromatic red and blue fruits - cedar and graphite. A big full bodied wine at 15% ABV - ample earthy tannins but enjoyable to drink now. The acidic soil ( from limestone) - fennel and liquorice notes. My notes had delicious at the end. Carignan needs plenty of sunshine to ripen effectively as it does in Sardinia. — 4 years ago

ESF

9.3

Purchased at winery: legit Priorato here with that schisty style, took forever to open, disintegrated cork, and I almost lost hope - eventually yielded stunning eclectic & complex nose of dusty minerals, cherry & blackberry compote, medicinal, spice, a hi-toned note, really evolving. Smooth rich luxurious on palate, great density & mouthfeel, tons of minerals & red & black fruit w/just enough acidity to balance it all out. Persistent finish. This isn’t their hi end bottling, and it isn’t Clos Mogador or anything like that, but this is absolutely Priorato with some more life ahead. — 4 years ago

Belinda

9.2

Really nice aglianico at cafe mogador. Don’t know if I would repeat this that often, but still fruity with plenty of depth — 7 years ago

Edo Wachters

9.3

The Venus La Universal Dido La Solució Rosa is a wine made in Montsant, Spain, by Sara Pérez (known from Mas Martinet) and René Barbier (known from Clos Mogador). It is an unusual rosé cuvee from Garnacha, Tempranillo, Macabeo and Cariñena. The result is a complex wine, with lots of character - a rosé which drinks both like a fresh white as well as an elegant red. Really great! — 2 months ago

Scott Kahn

9.0

This is a beautifully balanced example of a Garnacha-cariñena blend from the DO adjacent to Priorat. Crafted by the children of Mogador and Mas Martinet - and at a much better price point — 6 months ago

Big Wave Dave

9.2

Very very shy at first. Started light bodied but then unfurled in the glass. Blue and black fruit, tannins fine and fully integrated. Slight candied note. Not up there with Mogador but serious enough. Superb with the steak. — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

You will appreciate this wine more once you’ve seen the YouTube movie “Dreaming of Wine” about the rejuvenation of the wine industry In Priorat after 900 years. A fascinating story and well worth the time to view the movie. Clos Erasmus was founded and still run by Daphne Glorian, the blonde woman in the movie. The wine itself is one of the 1001 Wines to Drink Before you Die and described as “one of the few cult wines in Spain”. The wine itself in colour was not as dense and dark as I was expecting after a decant though, a substantial deposit was left. Lovely red and black fruited aromatics with dried herbs, violets and ripe berries, although with porty and raisiny notes - cocoa and a touch of tar with granular tannins. Arguably a bit long in the tooth - depends what you are looking for. Bought at a wine shop in Gratallops, the little village in Priorat in June last year, 2022 after a tasting at Clos Mogador, also in the movie. Tasted a while ago Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gave this wine 99 points “flirting with perfection “. A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Opened in a family group in Catalunya Spain with no formal notes. Made by the redoubtable Rene Barbier where we having a tour at Clos Mogador this coming Saturday. One of those lovely luscious Mediterranean whites with a skinnsy bitterness with a low acid profile. A blend of Macabeu, Garnatxa Blanc and Cartoixa. Peachy notes in the profile. — 4 years ago

Rena karefa-johnson

9.0

Good red blend — 5 years ago

Shane Lennon

9.0

Tannic, fruity blend from Morocco (camel plowed!) blackberries and currents — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

My first try of this beauty from Priorat at £65 that should age into a dreamy creamy bootle of choc cherry & raspberry gateaux 😍 Like the Clos Mogador 13 it’s drinking great already 👍

📍 Mas Doix 2013

🏵 94 points w/ more potential 😉

🍇 65% Grenache, 25% Carignan & 10 % Syrah

🍷 Deep dark ruby w/ purple hue

👃 Dark cherry, plum & blackberry in soft smoked oak w/ herbs, spice & mineral rock

👄 Med body of creamy dark cherry & red plum w/ cocoa, cola, raspberry & black berry fruits

🎯 Long dark & red fruit balanced linger w/ a touch of cola, cocoa & dry mineral looming around
— 7 years ago