98-pt Clos Mogador 2021: A Masterpiece!

Why Buy: 98 points from The Wine Advocate tells you this one is special. The story behind those prestigious points tells you why. A pioneering estate whose exacting, obsessive methods (for instance, using olive presses for half the usual extraction) result in wines of otherworldly intensity and supernal length, Clos Mogador is more than just an international icon. The Cellar Tours website rightly hails their eponymous wine as Spain’s answer to France’s Château Margaux and Italy’s Sassicaia. From their high-elevation slate amphitheater in Gratallops, they craft the kind of bottles that make critics reach for superlatives and collectors reach for their wallets.

What They're Saying: The Wine Advocate awarded it 98 points in a review of almost lyrical joy, extolling its "aromatic complexity" and "beautiful texture," with great "elegance and freshness."

Our Tasting Notes: Some wines speak of place; this one shouts it from the mountaintops. The high-altitude vineyards and slate soils define every aspect, from the intense aromatics to the mineral-driven finish. The blend of Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon achieves something remarkable – each variety adding its voice to a chorus that sings of sun-baked hills and cool mountain air. The concentration is profound, but what impressed us, time and again in our tasting, was how the intensity never overwhelmed the wine's sense of balance and detail. A majestic and memorable wine.

The Specs: At Clos Mogador, every choice serves the pursuit of intensity and precision. The grapes ferment with 30% whole clusters for freshness, followed by extended maceration lasting up to 50 days. But it's their use of olive presses that truly sets them apart – extracting only half the juice of conventional presses. In a region already known for low yields, this creates wines of almost unimaginable concentration. The wine then matures in a combination of 2,000-liter oak foudres, traditional barrels, and concrete, allowing for optimal integration of fruit and structure.

The Story: In the 1970s, when Priorat was just another forgotten corner of Spain, René Barbier saw something others missed. The region's steep slate slopes and old vines had been producing wine since Roman times, but decades of neglect had reduced it to a footnote in Spanish wine history. Along with a small band of visionaries, including Alvaro Palacios and Carles Pastrana, Barbier began working this difficult terrain, convinced that these ancient soils could produce wines of extraordinary character. What he discovered in Gratallops exceeded even his boldest hopes. The combination of high-altitude vineyards, dramatic temperature shifts, and that distinctive slate soil – locally known as llicorella – proved capable of producing wines of both power and finesse. Barbier established Clos Mogador in what amounts to a natural amphitheater, surrounded by mountains reaching 1,200 meters and caressed by the Siurana River below. From those early pioneering days, when many thought them crazy for investing in such remote, difficult terrain, Clos Mogador has risen to stand at the pinnacle of Spanish wine. Their success helped transform Priorat from an overlooked backwater into one of Europe's most exciting wine regions. Yet despite the international acclaim, this remains a place of authentic character – where wine growing isn't just business, but a profound expression of place and tradition.

Fun Fact: Despite producing some of Spain's most sought-after wines, Priorat remains so charmingly under the radar that you might find yourself sharing a restaurant table with René Barbier himself – just another local in this still-uncrowded wine paradise.

Our Guarantee: Remember, friends – we always buy and source directly from the estate, so you can rest assured that your wine will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance.