Lunch with Rene Barbier IV of Clos Mogador
Nearly a half century ago, the French-born René Barbier of Clos Mogador planted vines on the steep slopes of Priorat’s craggy hillsides in Spain.
Priorat is 100 miles southwest of Barcelona, at the foot of Spain’s Montsant mountain range. The region is known for its very dark-colored llicorella (black stone, black schist, black slate) soil and hot, arid climate.
Clos Mogador’s Mr. Barbier comes from a winemaking family, who actually owned vineyards in Priorat during the 1880s, then a region covered in vines before phylloxera destroyed the vineyards. The Barbier family, along with others, deserted the region to make a new life in France.
The Rene Barbier Story
After studying enology in France, Mr. Barbier saw the opportunity to revive Priorat and make his distinctive style of wine. Basing his cellar in the small town of Gratallops, Mr. Barbier and other small producers planted the local red varieties Garnacha and Cariñena, along with French varieties, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.
The deeply concentrated wines from this region received almost immediate acclaim by connoisseurs and wine geeks alone. In the 1990s, Priorat received the Denominacion de Origen Calificada (DOCa). This is the highest qualification level for a wine region according to Spanish wine regulations, alongside the Rioja DOCa.
Meeting Mr. Barbier
In 2020, I had the honor of meeting René Barbier at his estate in Priorat. (You can see my shadow reflected with a striking view of the vineyards below).
During a recent lunch at the Spanish Manhattan restaurant Casa Mono, I was able to meet Mr. Barbier’s son, René Barbier IV of Clos Mogador, and sample several of the newly released vintages.
Venus La Universal 2018
The 2018 vintage is made from Garnacha 60% and Carignan 40%. The wine is aged in a mix of small and large oak for nearly 18 months. A delicious wine paired with a wide variety of dishes.
Dido Rosat 2019
This wine is wine with different types of Garnatxa (Grey, Red and White) to add volume and density but also with Macabeu and Carinyena for freshness. The wine is aged in a mix of small and larger barrels for over a year. Complex and one of the better rosat wines of its category.
Venus de la Figuera 2018
La Figuera is a village where you can find just Grenache vines at elevation from 380m to 600m high and aged for over 18 months. This 100% wine is delicious and age worthy.
