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A dense, deep Clos Mogador, the 2003 version is in style somewhere between the monumental 2001 (Robert Parker: 98 points), yet with rounder, more supple tannins, and the more textured 2000 (Robert Parker: 95 points), and yet more complex and meaty in style. The aromatics are intense and show dark fruits, roasted game, dark chocolate and spice. On the palate the wine is immensely powerful with layers of fruit and an earthy, blood-like minerality that makes the best Priorat wines so distinctive. It is sure to live and develop for 10 + years but has the richness of fruit to be an enjoyable wine from, say 2008. Remember this is just off the container so please give it a few months to settle down, and give it a good decant prior to serving as there is plenty of sediment. Thus far the 2003 has not been reviewed by any publication we track. Aromas of raspberry rope/cherry, aniseed, dark chocolate and sweet herbs. Some spicy cinnamon oak and minerally overtones too. A very delicious and complex smelling wine - and one with a little VA lift to whisk it up the nose. On the palate it is rich and leathery with dark chocolate, mineral and ripe berry flavours. Very ripe but still fresh and not at all heavy. Dry fine ripe assertive tannins and a long tannic finish. We savoured the bottle, and as is often the case, the last glass was the very best. A wine that speaks clearly of its origins - rugged and beautiful, filled with the warmth of the sun and the stony ground in which it was grown. 94 points, Gary Walsh, Winorama One of the most dramatic expressions of Spanish terroir, Clos Mogador is simply a must buy for any serious Spanish wine lover. It is one of Spain's great reds - a wonderfully rich, textured, long and complex wine. Yet before we talk about the wine we should really talk about the place. Priorat (or Grattalops to be precise in the case of Clos Mogador), some 150km south of Barcelona and perhaps 20km inland from the Mediterranean, is one of the most visually dramatic regions of the wine world. Here steep mountains of sheer slate (licorella is the local name) drop away into valleys and ravines that once must have seemed impassable to the human eye. Here many slopes are terraced and some are dotted sparsely with as many (or as few) vines as this barren soil will sustain. In the Clos Mogador vineyard, for example, 18 hectares supports only 18,000 bush grown vines (that's 400 vines per acre i.e., very few). The terraced Clos Mogador vineyards form a gigantic natural amphitheatre above the Siurana River, with an average altitude of 450 metres above sea level. Typical production is a bizarre 10 hectolitres per hectare (or less)! I suppose the climate would be called continental with hot days and cold nights and yet there is also some moderating influence from the Mediterranean ocean. The wine is made by René Barbier, son of the famous mass market wine producer of the same name and pioneer of the rebirth of the Priorat region. The grapes used are Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carignan. The Grenache vines are more than 80 years old - the other varieties were planted in the 1980s. 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 slate 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 of the remarkably small yield is an enormous concentration of aromas and flavours. The economics of making wine from small plots of very low yielding vines means prices must be high. This has not been a problem because the wines are truly outstanding and fully justify their price. The first vintage was 1989, and this still has considerable ageing potential.
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