2016 Clos Mogador Montsant Com Tu

Clos Mogador was founded in Priorat, Spain, in 1982, by Rene Barbier, a descendant of the 19th century Frenchman who founded the now very large and successful Rene Barbier wine estate near Barcelona 150 years ago. That estate is now owned by Frexinet and makes a large portfolio of wines. The current Rene Barbier worked in the wine industry for other producers for several years before returning to Priorat, his home region, and starting his own winery.The 50-acre estate is named after a novel written by Barbier’s great aunt, who described the life of a family living near Mont Ventoux in southern France. Clos Mogador’s first vintage was 1989, and it quickly became a cult Spanish red, prized for its extraordinary character. Barbier presses his grapes on an olive press, which extracts only half the amount of juice that a grape press would deliver, making Clos Mogador highly concentrated. Clos Mogador is 35% Garnacha, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah and 10% Carinena.

Cataluña is the northeastern corner of Spain just under France. Its most famous city is Barcelona, which suggests a lot about the open-minded, entrepreneurial attitude toward winemaking in this region. Cataluña, or Catalunya as it is known in the local Catalan language, doesn’t think of itself as particularly Spanish, and its winemaking traditions are a mix Spanish and French. Of the ten appellations in Cataluña the most famous are Priorat, Penedès and Tarragona. Penedès is the largest and most productive of the appellations since it is home to Spain’s most important Cava producers, namely Freixenet and Codorníu. Cava was first made in Penedès in the late 19th century using Spanish grape varietals to making sparkling wines in the French manner. Cataluña is also known for intensely flavored, dark red wines from Priorat and other appellations. The primary red grapes are Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta and Cabernet Sauvignon. Cava is made from the indigenous white grapes Xarel-lo, Parellada and Macabeo.