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We discovered discover this Garnacha Blanca blend during our May 2015 visit to Clos Mogador. Rene's son Rene had us jump in his old SUV and drove us through their steep and rocky hillside vineyards. If you've had their reds and wondered why fennel notes are there, it grows all over their property. After a tour of their vineyards we went back to their patio for a tasting...and what a view. Shown in the photos. We started the tasting with the 2010 Nelin. It was the first time we'd had it. At the time, one of the more unique whites we'd had in a long time. It was bright, fresh, subdued fruity, tangy with amazing crisp minerality. Afterwards, we went to lunch at "Amics" near by Clos Mogador. The best & most original 4 course lunches we had for seventy euros with a bottle of this wine. Great service and unparalleled accommodation. It didn't have a star but it should. The nicest couple from Brazil run it. Tonight's revisit is the 2011 and it's had a little better than 5 years in the bottle. It's definitely changed. It's, more golden now, weightier, thicker, more oily and picked up not quite a petrol quality. The fruits are; peach, apricot, pineapple, lemon & lime juice. Notes of honey, wild fragrant florals, amazing chalky minerality, perfect round acidity and a round, lush finish that we absolutely love. The blend is mostly Garnacha Blanca with some Viognier, Roussanne & Pinot Blanc. Photos of the property, views, and the father & son winemaking team of Rene & Rene Barbier. Producer history & notes...Clos Mogador produces estate bottled wines in Gratallops, Catalonia in the DOQ Priorat. Founded in 1979 by René Barbier III and his wife Isabelle Meyer. With several friends, they began replanting terraces and recuperating old ones to eventually have their first release in 1989 as Clos Mogador. This name comes from a novel written by an aunt named, Élisabeth Barbier called, “Les Gens de Mogador”, “The people of Mogador”; which chronicles the rise and fall of a family from near Avignon in France on an imaginary estate called, Mogador. Clos Mogador is 13 hectares. Six hectares are made of 80 years old Cariñena vines, two hectares of 6 years old Cabernet Sauvignon vines, three hectares of 6 years old Garnacha vines and 2 hectares of 6 year old are Syrah vines. They use mostly organic methods. It is worth knowing that at the winemaking stage, Rene Barbier uses an olive press instead of a normal wine press to extract the juice. This results in an even more intense wine from what are already highly concentrated grapes from low yields. Try the Nelin, it's simply delicious!!! Cheers. — 8 years ago
Tasted at winery. Good minerality. More fruity than Mogador. 100% carinena. Tight/closed aromatics despite being fruity. First time with 100% carinena. — 8 years ago
Somm David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
We discovered discover this Garnacha Blanca blend during our May 2015 visit to Clos Mogador. Rene's son Rene had us jump in his old SUV and drove us through their steep and rocky hillside vineyards. If you've had their reds and wondered why fennel notes are there, it grows all over their property. After a tour of their vineyards we went back to their patio for a tasting...and what a view. Shown in the photos. We started the tasting with the 2010 Nelin. It was the first time we'd had it. At the time, one of the more unique whites we'd had in a long time. It was bright, fresh, subdued fruity, tangy with amazing crisp minerality. Afterwards, we went to lunch at "Amics" near by Clos Mogador. The best & most original 4 course lunches we had for seventy euros with a bottle of this wine. Great service and unparalleled accommodation. It didn't have a star but it should. The nicest couple from Brazil run it. Tonight's revisit is the 2011 and it's had a little better than 5 years in the bottle. It's definitely changed. It's, more golden now, weightier, thicker, more oily and picked up not quite a petrol quality. The fruits are; peach, apricot, pineapple, lemon & lime juice. Notes of honey, wild fragrant florals, amazing chalky minerality, perfect round acidity and a round, lush finish that we absolutely love. The blend is mostly Garnacha Blanca with some Viognier, Roussanne & Pinot Blanc. Photos of the property, views, and the father & son winemaking team of Rene & Rene Barbier. Producer history & notes...Clos Mogador produces estate bottled wines in Gratallops, Catalonia in the DOQ Priorat. Founded in 1979 by René Barbier III and his wife Isabelle Meyer. With several friends, they began replanting terraces and recuperating old ones to eventually have their first release in 1989 as Clos Mogador. This name comes from a novel written by an aunt named, Élisabeth Barbier called, “Les Gens de Mogador”, “The people of Mogador”; which chronicles the rise and fall of a family from near Avignon in France on an imaginary estate called, Mogador. Clos Mogador is 13 hectares. Six hectares are made of 80 years old Cariñena vines, two hectares of 6 years old Cabernet Sauvignon vines, three hectares of 6 years old Garnacha vines and 2 hectares of 6 year old are Syrah vines. They use mostly organic methods. It is worth knowing that at the winemaking stage, Rene Barbier uses an olive press instead of a normal wine press to extract the juice. This results in an even more intense wine from what are already highly concentrated grapes from low yields. Try the Nelin, it's simply delicious!!! Cheers. — 8 years ago