Winemaker Notes
The wine shows an opaque black-purple color and an intense, complex bouquet of ripe fruit, wild herbs, toasted bread, spices and smoke. The palate is massive and well balanced with a fat richness, a dense structure of velvety tannins and a powerful, lively acidity. Flavors of crystalized fruit, pepper, chocolate, coffee and a whole panoply of spices and herbs. On the long finish there are the unique mineral tones that make Priorat so special.
Blend: 45% Garnacha, 29% Cariñena, 16% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Clos Mogador comes from a very challenging vintage in Priorat, a year with lots of rain and some fungus problems that are very unusual in the zone, which is usually very healthy. They bought a further four hectares so they could keep the volume despite the difficulties with mildew. The wine is more tannic and a little astringent despite now having any time in barrels anymore; starting this year, it matured exclusively in 2,000-liter oak foudre, and the impact of the wood is milder. A very good result, it's powerful but has good balance. The vintage is more tannic, and the quality of the tannins is not the same as those from 2019, as they couldn't wait for better tannins because of the risk of losing acidity and freshness.
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Decanter
Founded in 1979, the 20ha Clos Mogador lies at 350m altitude , surrounded by mountains up to 1,200m. The vines here grow on slate soils and the 2020 wine is a blend of 45% Garnacha, 29% Cariñena, 16% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented using 30% whole bunches and indigenous yeasts. The wine was aged entirely in 2,000L French oak foudres for 18 months before bottling. Beth Willard: A really dark and intense wine that speaks of the region. High-toned, perfumed notes and raspberry on the nose. Oak is well integrated. Big and rich, but with underlying elegance. Polished and serious. Diana Rollan: Dense and powerful nose with dark fruit, and notes of plum, black cherry, blueberries, sandalwood and dried herbs. Big and bold with pronounced tannins, but round and textured. David Williams: Complex nose with notes of blood orange, black cherry and Mediterranean herbs. Intensity but also drive on the palate; great mineral acidity, freshness.
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James Suckling
Ripe strawberries, black cherries, dark spices and a hint of dried fruit, too. Pretty full-bodied on the palate with tons of polished, seductive tannins that melt into the fruit. Rich, juicy and long. Sweet tannins. 45% garnatxa, 29% carinyena, 16% syrah and 10% cabernet sauvignon.
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Wine Spectator
A focused, medium- to full-bodied red, but lively and suave, with sculpted tannins that are well-knit to a fine range of black raspberry puree, medicinal herb, bitter cherry reduction and spiced orange peel flavors. Long and harmonious, with a minerally finish of iron and stone accents. Garnatxa, Carinyena, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Tiny and entirely composed of craggy, jagged and deeply terraced vineyards, Priorat is a Catalan wine-producing region that was virtually abandoned until the early 1990s. This Spanish wine's renaissance came with the arrival of one man, René Barbier, who recognized the region’s forgotten potential. He banded with five friends to create five “Clos” in the village of Gratallops. Their aim was to revive some of Priorat’s ancient Carignan vines, as well as plant new—mainly French—varieties. These winemakers were technically skilled, well-trained and locally inspired; not surprisingly their results were a far cry from the few rustic and overly fermented wines already produced.
This movement escalated Priorat’s popularity for a few reasons. Its new wines were modern and made with well-recognized varieties, namely old Carignan and Grenache blended with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. When the demand arrived, scarcity commanded higher prices and as the region discovered its new acclaim, investors came running from near and far. Within ten years, the area under vine practically doubled.
Priorat’s steep slopes of licorella (brown and black slate) and quartzite soils, protection from the cold winds of the Siera de Monstant and a lack of water, leading to incredibly low vine yields, all work together to make the region’s wines unique. While similar blends could and are produced elsewhere, the mineral essence and unprecedented concentration of a Priorat wine is unmistakable.