Priorat Red Blend

See previous note 2 years ago in March 2022. Still very consistent impressions. Black and blue fruits, as mentioned before. Dried plum and earth with herbal notes (fennel). Priorat Garnacha and Garnacha blends are some of my favourite wine styles. Clos Mogador is biodynamic and Rene Barbier does not use chemicals in the vineyard.

A dense bright ruby in colour. Initially vanilla/oak notes which blew off with time in decanter. Dense rich and brooding - not giving much aromatically. Tight and muscular. Behaves younger than 7 years. Made by the redoubtable Rene Barbier, one of the founders of the revitalised Priorat movement as shown in the excellent documentary “Dreaming of Wine”. Full bodied and flavoursome. Rich and herbal - predominantly ripe Garnacha grapes. Red and black fruits. Had a wonderful visit there last year with the family and an informative tour and tasting at Clos Mogador. I love the fact that they have kept their wines affordable unlike their Priorat colleagues Alvaro Palacios (L’Ermita) and Daphne Glorian (Clos Erasmus) whose wines are quite expensive. This Mogador is so not ready to drink! Needs time in the cellar. Disagree with Thomas Matthews Drinking window of 2019 to 2024. Personally I think this wine will cruise through to 2030. I will leave the last one for around another 4 years.

2005 is in perfect shape. At its peak.

The fruit is bright, ripe & juicy. Dry-ish blackberries, loads of dark cherries, poached strawberries, black raspberries, hues of raspberries, red cola/licorice, caramel as it opens up, slightly dry tobacco, sandalwood to barrel dust, dry, powdery top soil, soft, chewy, leather, herbaceous notes, fennel notes, steeped fruit tea, dry crushed rock powder, some dark, rich soil, dry brush & leaves, tarry notes, anise, bright dark, fresh, red flowers, amazing acidity with excellent; balance, structure, tension and beautiful wire to wire finish that lasts nearly two-minutes. Beautiful!!!

We had this last night with pan fried duck with ginger and garlic - thanks Georgie - a perfect match with this wine. Blue and black fruits with earth and minerality. A medium to full bodied palate. I normally have a Burgundy with Duck but I wanted to have this aged Carignan/Grenache. One of my favourite wine styles. The five of us who drank this wine all visited Clos Mogador in early June this year where we had a tasting and tour and I bought this aged bottle from their cellar. Still had at least 5 more years in front of it.

Open and lush. Almost Merlot-like. Violets and roses and plum. Not too hot. Very good. Lacks a little structure

See previous Delectable note. I love this style of wine - also a great back story. Black cherry, red licorice, dried plum - ripe and intoxicating on the nose. Slaty, minerally even gravelly yet full bodied and savoury with plush rich fruit, Mediterranean herbs like fennel. You need to taste this wine while watching the Documentary, “Dreaming of Wine “ about the pioneers of the revival of Priorat, like Rene Barbier, the creator of Clos Mogador which I am sipping while watching. Makes me want to buy more Priorat. We are planning a visit there in May this year. 49% Garnacha, 25.% Carinena, 16% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Inky ruby. An exotically perfumed bouquet presents an array of mineral-driven dark fruit liqueur, spice and floral qualities, along with hints of vanilla and pipe tobacco that build as the wine opens up. Sweet and densely packed on the palate, offering intense blueberry, cassis, cherry compote and violet pastille flavors and a touch of cola. Rich yet energetic in character, displaying superb definition, building tannins and outstanding, smoky persistence. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, March 2021)

Prompted to have this for Sunday lunch after David and Sofias note on their Clos Mogador white a few days ago @David Trumper Clos Mogador made by Rene Barbier arguably the father of modern Priorat. Dense Ruby with youthful purple tinges. Somewhat closed and brooding on the nose and arguably drinking this too young at 7 years. Rich and full bodied on the palate showing blue fruits and a definite minerality from all that slate. This story well told in the Documentary “Dreaming of Wine” where it looks impossible to grow vines in the slate with Daphne Glorian from Clos Erasmus saying you need dynamite to prepare the vineyard. With this wine it’s best is yet to come.

Settled and very pretty. Great.

This is lovely. Great balance and purity of fruit. Excellent.