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Now Viewing: Clos Figueres Estate
Christopher Cannan purchased the Priorat Estate of Clos Figueres in 1997 on the advice of René Barbier of Clos Mogador. The vineyards cover some 10 hectares. There are about 2500 old Carignan and Grenache vines planted more than 20 years ago for the Clos Figueres label. The remainder, about 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, some Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvèdre were planted in 1998 and are used for the production of Font de la Figuera. The location is just to the north of Gratallops on terraced slopes of pure schist, the soil responsible for the finest wines of Priorat. From these high terraces, the views are wonderful...in one direction the famous L'Ermita vineyard and the craggy Montsant mountain range behind it; in the other a long-distance vista featuring the Ebro Valley and more mountains beyond. René Barbier's team takes care of the vineyards as well as the vinification and aging of the wines. Thanks to the Barbier family's talents and dedication Clos Figueres should soon rank with the best of Priorat, while the second wine, Font de la Figuera, represents remarkable value for the region. A note on the names: Figueras / Figueres are fig trees in Spanish and Catalan respectively. Long before Christopher Cannan purchased it, the estate was known by the locals as Clos Figueres, but national regulations (dating from the Franco era) required Spanish spellings on all official documents...hence the company name Clos Figueras S.A.
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