The phylloxera catastrophe at the end of the 19th century brought many a wine-growing story to an end, but also re-initiated it in the period that followed. Including that of the Barbier family. The family, originally based on the Rhone, had a considerable empire of vineyards there, but these were completely destroyed by phylloxera. In search of new vineyards, they found what they were looking for in Spain and founded a winery in Tarragona. And it was here, in the Priorat, that the Barbier family became one of the driving forces behind the renaissance of this region, which is now so highly valued and sought after by many wine lovers. For example, the Barbiers were the first to bottle wines in Priorat instead of selling them in barrels. With René Barbier, the third generation entered the stage of the Spanish wine world, and with it began a new chapter in Spanish winemaking history. He had trained at some top French wineries, such as the Bordeaux icon Moueix. In 1978, he found exactly what he was looking for in Gratallops, now the centre of Priorat, parcels on the region's legendary slate soil. This vineyard is surrounded by a mountain range over 1,000 meters high, with the Siurana river exerting a slight climatic influence. And it was here that René Barbier, alongside Alvaro Palacios and Clos Erasmus, became the most important protagonist of the quality revolution in Priorat. He converted his parcels to biodynamic cultivation and naturally harvests by hand on the barren, steep soil. There are no stainless steel tanks in René Barbier's cellar; he relies on wood and concrete. The main grape varieties in the vineyards are Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carinena and Syrah, whose wines are bottled unfiltered and unadorned in order to preserve the greatest possible authenticity. The environment in which these wines are produced is harsh, some old vines yield very few grapes, but the wines are the essence of the Priorat terroir. And these have made René Barbier one of the most important winemakers in Spain, whose Clos Mogador was even named "Vi di Finca" in 2006, a very special Catalan honour that has only been bestowed on very few vineyards to date. With his very remarkable Garnacha "Com Tu", he has also brought new splendour to the neighbouring region of Monsant.
