In the early part of this century, my son René and I first started experimenting with wine-making in the village of La Figuera (70 unhabitants). We met a few winemakers and we vinified around 4.000 kilos of Garnacha vines, in the cooperative of El Molar. From the very beginning we realized its extraordinary potential. This first vinification was moved to Laurona cellar, whose owner was Mr. Christopher Cannan, and both he and I were shareholders of the cellar. From that moment onwards all the garnacha coming into the cellar was from La Figuera.
Following this adventure, in 2002 I discovered the centennial vineyard that belonged to Mr. Joan Anguera (today it’s the Spectacle vineyard). We set up a society, Espectacle Vins S.L., with Anguera, Cannan, Fernando Zamora and myself.
With the collaboration of my son René we started to promote that area so exceptionally good for Garnachas. Our relationship with the cooperative and its five members has always been very good. On one hand, the winemakers commit to selling a good selection of Garnacha grapes to provide for four new competing projects: The Cooperative (their project); wine Com Tu (our project); Venus La Figuera (René and Sara) and Pitágoras (Roland family).
The idea of the name Com Tu was my son’s, Anderson Barbier Meyer, an artist from top to bottom, he composes, writes, sings and is currently studying to be a producer of his own art. Together with his mother- a designer, painter, ex-ballerina- they came up with this label that describes a philosophy that only he can explain.
In 2014 we produced the first wine, only a few bottles that we kept for ageing. In 2015, some 3,000 bottles (sold in Switzerland and Barcelona). In 2016 we produced some 8,000 bottles, which we sold form September 2018. And in 2018 we bought the first vineyards in La Figuera; a 1.5 hectares Garnacha plot, planted in 1996, with a production of 4,000 kgs., which will allow us to raise the supply to 12,000 bottles for 2018.
And also my second son, Christian, joined us in this project. He is leading Clos Mogador into the path of biodynamic agriculture.
Why Com tú? It is a mixture between the Barbier philosophy and mine. It is a homage to all people, it does not matter the colour of their skin, their gender, whatever face or body they have, whether they have a disability or not, whether they are rich or they live hand to mouth, whether they have studies or not. The name of the wine has to remind you that we all are the same within. We all share basic needs, those make us human, those make us equal. In summary, I am like you (Com tú), you are like me.
On the other hand, the label is the result of a collaboration between my mother Isabelle, a great artist, and myself. If you look at it closely enough you will see two eyes, and within them a man and a woman, of a different race, holding hands through the glasses. They need each other so the glasses don’t fall off. This is the way I see that there is no future for men without women, no future with ethnic groups confronted; strength comes in numbers. The nose is my signature.
There is no edge on the picture, this gives people freedom to decide whether it is a man or a woman. The name of the wine is written over the mouth with different type of letters. The “C” refers to my curly hair. The “O” refers to the mouth, like the shape of an open door, (by the way, this is the same symbol the Japanese use;) open up and communicate among ourselves in order to avoid confrontation, in a world where war has already caused enough harm. The “M” for music, that soothes the animals and brings about peace (at least it does to me). The “T” are two pencils put together in perpendicular, as I like writing. And last but not least, the “U” is a bush, being a lover of nature as I am, it had to be there.
One of the main family projects is to focus on the highest area of the D.O. Montsant, the village of La Figuera, where curiously there has always been the variety of red Garnacha, and only this one. The altitude (between 500 and 600 meters above sea level) and the soil composition make a perfect combination to achieve a unique wine, which with all the family has fallen in love.
For the ageing of the Com Tu we have chosen big old oak barrels (4,000 l.) and depending on the year, a period of time between 14 and 16 months.
The reason this Project is so motivating for me is the change of soil. We have been working with licorella soil (slate) for more than twenty years, and now we have the chance to work with white clay, and this is very rewarding. One of the advantages of this type of soil is that it produces very fresh wines.
2016
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