Clos Mogador

René Barbier led the original Priorat movement, proving that exciting and unique fine wines could be made in this forgotten corner of Spanish Catalonia. At Clos Mogador, he nursed back to life abandoned old vineyards planted on steep schist hillsides, where the ancient Grenache and Carignan vines had learnt to struggle against the aridity by sending roots 25 metres down in search of water and nutrients, yielding less than 10 hectolitres per he...

The cellars are situated on a ridge near the village of Gratallops, in the heart of the Priorat hills. The vineyards are planted on very steep terraces forming a gigantic natural amphitheatre above the Siurana river with an average altitude of 450 metres above sea level.

The schistous slate and quartz soil, locally called 'llicorella', is organically very poor and ideal for wine growing. The climate is unique with very hot summers, relative...

René Barbier is a strong advocate of the belief that great winemaking starts in the vineyard. His vines are made to suffer in the extremely poor slaty soil and rough climate. There is no irrigation, so the roots are left to search for water, only found at a depth of 25 metres. No chemicals are used, wild herbs and plants grow between the vines. The result is a remarkably small yield of only 6 Hectolitres per hectare permitting an enormous conc...

The Barbier family is originally from Gigondas where they owned vineyards until the phyloxera devastation brought René's great grandfather to Tarragona. There he founded a small negociant company that built an excellent reputation for itself over the years. In the early 1970's the family firm was purchased by Rumasa and subsequently sold to Freixenet, the big cava producer. 

René started his career working as export manager for the Palacios...