Clos Figueras, Clos Figueres Priorat Red 2014
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93
Vinous
Deep magenta. Mineral-accented red/blue fruits, pungent flowers, incense, vanilla and licorice on the highly perfumed nose. Juicy, sweet and focused on the palate, offering vibrant boysenberry, black raspberry, mocha and lavender pastille flavors that turn spicier as the wine opens up. The mineral and floral notes resonate on an impressively long, energetic finish that’s given shape by harmonious, slow-mounting tannins. (fermented in new, 500-litre open-topped French oak casks and aged for 16 months in new French oak barriques)
I had two vintages of the top red to taste, and the oldest of the two is the 2014 Clos Figueres, an old-vine blend of Garnacha and Cariñena plus a touch of Syrah and Cabernet. It fermented in new open-top 500-liter French oak barrels and matured in new French barriques for 14 to 16 months. The wine comes from a cooler year with moderate alcohol and more freshness, and it feels very classical, serious and balanced, with integrated oak in the shape of spices, Mediterranean herbs and ripe berries without excess. The palate feels very harmonious, with focused flavors and that dustiness that often reminds me of the slate of the Priorat soils. 4,116 bottles were filled in February 2016.
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Clos Figueras, Clos Figueres Priorat Red 2015
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92
Wine Advocate
The riper and warmer 2015 Clos Figueres fermented in new 500-liter French oak barrels and matured in French barriques for 14 to 16 months. There is a tad more ripeness compared with the 2014, but there are no signs of excess. It’s powerful while keeping its poise and manages to come through as balanced within its full body and plenty of tannins. A powerful red Priorat true to the vintage. I think it’s a matter of taste if you like 2014 or 2015 better, because quality is pretty homogeneous. 4,525 bottles were filled in February 2017.
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Clos Figueras, Clos Figueres Priorat Red 2017
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94
Wine Advocate
The wines I tasted this time showed cleaner and more precise, and the 2017 Clos Figueres was not an exception in its more powerful way, also reflecting the conditions of a low-yielding and early-ripening year. It has the wet slate and graphite quality of the classical Priorat reds, with energy, balance and all the ingredients necessary to develop nicely in bottle. There are some dusty tannins that would welcome some food and/or extra time in bottle. The oak is nicely integrated and neatly folded into the fruit. This transported me to the Priorats from yesteryear. It fermented and matured in new and second use 500-liter French oak barrels. 4,000 to 5,000 bottles. It was bottled in March 2019.
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Clos Figueras, Clos Figueres Priorat Red 2018
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95
Wine Advocate
The 2018 Clos Figueres follows the path of cleanliness and precision of the 2017 in a better vintage. It’s Garnacha and Cariñena from old vines with Cabernet sauvignon, Syrah and Monastrell, which seems to be a Mediterranean grape that is coming out of the closet in Priorat. It fermented and matured in new and second use 300- and 500-liter French oak barrels for 14 to 16 months. It’s powerful and ripe at 15% alcohol, but with a low pH and good freshness. It’s nuanced and complex and has elegance and some floral notes, with a more developed nose compared to the younger 2019 and 2020 tasted next to it. This has to be one of the finest vintages of Clos Figueres ever. 5,150 bottles were filled in February 2020.
The flagship wine of the estate, Clos Figueres was first made in 2000. The 2018 is a blend of 60% Garnacha and 40% Cariñena, all the grapes coming from older vines aged 60-80 years around the estate. The wine was fermented in open-top 500L barrels then aged for 14 months in new and second-use French oak barrels of 500L. Only 3,000 bottles were produced. Beth Willard: A dark and brooding wine with layers of blackcurrant, black pepper, liquorice and intense, bitter dark chocolate. There’s an element of tobacco on the finish, some savoury, herbal notes and loads of blueberry and blackberry fruit. A big and bold wine. Diana Rollan: Rich and opulent, with notes of blue- and blackberry compote, liquorice and dark chocolate. Concentrated and muscular, full-bodied style with high tannins but with a balanced, refreshing acidity. David Williams: A beautifully composed, deep, dark nose to dive into, with perfectly ripe dark berries and shimmering concentration. Polished tannin, too, and perfectly integrated oak. Very smart: one to cellar and watch.
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Clos Figueras, Clos Figueres Priorat Red 2019
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94
James Suckling
A textured Priorat showing some serious, chalky tannins, which are tightly knitted to the fruit. Dark spices, porcini mushrooms with some walnuts, dried herbs and balsamic complexity. Rich and flavorful on the palate, but also fresh and precise. Mineral and tangy finish. Drink or hold.
The 2019 Clos Figueres represents a warm and dry vintage with slightly higher ripeness and alcohol at 15.5%. It’s a powerful and concentrated red with plenty of tannins and a certain Priorat rusticity, a dusty texture and a mineral sensation of ground slate and graphite. This is a blend of old-vine Garnacha and Cariñena with some Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Monastrell. It matured in new and second use 500-liter barrels for 14 to 16 months. 4,685 bottles were filled in February 2021.
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Clos Figueras, Clos Figueres Priorat Red 2020
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94+
Wine Advocate
The very young 2020 Clos Figueres has notes of esparto grass and other Mediterranean herbs and flowers. Despite having similar alcohol levels to the 2018 and 2019 I tasted next to it, this 2020 feels a little lighter, but it is still powerful and has abundant, fine-grained tannins that are going to require some time in bottle to get resolved. 5,200 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2022.
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