Clos Manyetes Priorat 2004
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Clos Manyetes is owned by Rene Barbier of Clos Mogador. The 2004 Manyetes offers an expressive but brooding aromatic profile with mineral, smoke, blueberry, and black currant liqueur. Larger in scale than the 2003, with more mouth-filling fruit, it is beautifully balanced and nearly seamless. There is tannin to lose but it can barely be noticed. Give this top effort 2-3 years to evolve and drink it through 2017." Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Feb 2007: 93 points
ene Barbier’s Priorat, Clos Mogador, is now firmly established as one greatest wines of Spain. Less well known (perhaps because only 750 cases are produced) is that Barbier produces another red Priorat from an ancient vineyard called Clos Manyetes. The devotion and care that goes into the production of Mogador is also lavished on Manyetes (hence Barbier sells it for an almost identical 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 70% Cariñena (Carignan) and 30% Garnacha (Grenache), all from 80 years old vines. This blend of local varieties from ancient vines produces an intense Priorat with immense complexity, power and depth of flavour. The result is a stunning, highly authentic Priorat of the highest order.
The Clos Manyetes vineyard has, like the great Clos Mogador, extremely poor, slatey soil (know locally as llicorella) while the method of viticulture is basically identical. There is no irrigation so the roots are left to search for water, only found at a depth exceeding 20 metres. No chemicals are used and wild herbs and plants grow between the vines. The result is a remarkably infinitesimal yield of less than 5 hectolitres per hectare! Picking is done by hand, mechanisation being impossible on the steep, shifting slopes. The crop is sorted bunch by bunch, berry by berry, with substandard fruit discarded, before partial de-stemming, crushing, and maceration for two more days at a cool temperature. Ageing takes place in 500 litre French oak casks. The wine is bottled un-fined and un-filtered. All in all this is the care that one associates with the greatest wines of France. This makes sense: René Barbier is a devout pupil of Jean-Claude Berrouet, the legendary (just retired) wine maker at Château Pétrus. Enormous attention is therefore given to every detail. Ancient vines, great terroir and perfectionist winemaking has resulted in another benchmark wine from René Barbier.
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