R. Barbier Manyetes Clos Mogador Priorat 2009

Description

“…stunning examples of what Spain can produce but so rarely does.” Robert Parker

“Gratallops wines are amongst the most stunning in all of Spain. The ‘Gratallops pioneers’ proved beyond doubt that garnacha and cariñena are perfectly capable of producing highly complex, quality wine – as long as yields are low. The result is that Gratallops wines are amongst the most stunning in all of Spain: their concentration and character are outstanding as is their price.” John Radford, The New Spain

Rene Barbier is a living legend in Priorat, and greatly responsible for the rebirth of the area.  His Clos Mogador and Clos Manyetes are unquestionably two of Spain’s greatest wines.   They are powerful yet stylishly elegant reds, offering amazing consistency and class year after year.

When drinking a Clos Mogador or Clos Manyetes, you’re drinking the very land where the vines grow.  Here, terroir reigns supreme over variety and over man.  What drew Barbier to the region was the abundance of old vines and the remarkable terroir.  The soil, except on the fringes of the region, is pure slate or schist, known locally as llicorella, with virtually no topsoil.  Despite the dry, rocky soils, there is no shortage of subterranean water; so even though the vines’ roots must descend many metres, they can always find sufficient moisture to keep them alive. They are, in essence, mining llicorella, which feeds mineral rich liquid into their thirsty root systems.  These are wines of intense, complex fruit, rich texture and velvety tannins, freshened by llicorella (slate) driven minerality.    Rene Barbier’s Priorat, Clos Mogador, is now firmly established as one of the greatest wines of Spain.  With age, Clos Mogador wines develop the kind of elegance and deliciousness that is normally associated with the finest mature Bordeaux or Barolo.

Less well known (perhaps because only 750 cases are produced) is that Barbier produces another red Priorat from an ancient vineyard called Clos Manyetes. While the wine comes from a separate vineyard, it is made side by side with its sibling at Barbier’s Clos Mogador winery.  Perhaps the biggest differences are the age of the vines and the blend of grapes: Manyetes is a more traditional blend of native varieties – mostly Cariñena (Carignan), typically 70% and the balance is Garnacha, all from 80+ year old vines.  Some would argue this classic Mediterranean blend is a more authentic expression of Priorat.  It is certainly more traditional.  The old vine Carignan brings its expressive and distinctive inky, savoury fruit and fresh tannins, the Garnacha providing a long, gently perfumed finish.  Absolutely delicious, this is a stunning, highly authentic Priorat of the highest order.

Both wines are considerably more refined than just about all other Priorat’s and after 30 years of vineyard work and 20 yrs making wines they are beginning to understand their vineyards  and are making subtle changes such as larger burgundian coopered oak, longer pre and post ferment 50% whole bunch ferment, wild yeasts and no racking until bottling etc.   Today, Rene’s son, René Barbier Jr, is working very closely with his father and this has had an immediate impact.  How much this has specifically to do with Rene Jr’s involvement is not sure, but this highly intelligent and passionate young man has clearly brought additional energy and creativity to his family’s Domaine.

The devotion and care that goes into the production of Mogador is also lavished on Manyetes (hence Barbier sells it for a similar price).  While the wine comes from a separate vineyard, perhaps the biggest differences are the age of the vines and the blend of grapes: Manyetes is a more traditional blend of mostly Carinena (Carignan), typically 70% and the balance Garnacha, all from 80+ year old vines.. These wines need time at least 5 yrs to mature

“The 2009 Manyetes is a blend of 90% Carinena and 10% Garnacha from hot, south-facing slopes and comes under the “Vi de Villa” denomination mentioned in the introduction. It has a lifted bouquet with dark cherries, sloes, lavender and a touch of white pepper with fine delineation, all wrapped in a touch of warm alcohol. The palate is full-bodied with smooth, rounded tannins, layers of precise, peppery red fruit cut through with fine acidity. It has a firm tannic backbone and is quite masculine and tertiary, with an edgy, mineral-rich finish. This is very expressive of the grape variety, a Carinena full of personality and charm, though I would not touch a bottle for 5-6 years.”   92 points, Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate, Issue #200

This will be singing after resting a few years in our cellar … Ole !
RRP $170