About Vall Llach
From its inception, Celler Vall Llach has been governed by an adherence to two guiding principles: rigor and quality. Vall Llach was founded in 1992 by the famous Catalan singer Lluís Llach and his childhood friend, notary Enric Costa. Located in Porrera, one of the nine villages about 90 minutes south of Barcelona that together form the Qualified Designation of Origin (D.O.Q.) Priorat, this winery seamlessly fuses history and innovation, resulting in high-quality wines that are appreciated the world over. Today Enric’s son Albert serves as the winery’s head winemaker, co-owner and general manager, ensuring that the stellar quality that Celler Vall Llach has become known for will continue to flourish from generation to generation.
Vall Llach prides itself on its focus towards quality rather than quantity and cultivates just over 13 hectares of 60- to 90-year-old Carinena and Garnacha vines located in the best areas of Porrera and Torroja. Old vines produce low yields with naturally concentrated fruit, and Celler Vall Llach further reduces yields through careful vineyard management, producing densely concentrated and luscious wines. Vineyards climb steep slate (llicorella) hillsides, receiving optimum sun exposure and beneficial water deprivation, further strengthening the dark fruit flavors. Most of the old vines are cultivated according to traditional methods without the use of machinery which forces an intimate and exclusive relationship with the winegrower. Newer plantings of Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah add complexity to the old-vine character.
Today Vall Llach’s wines are made in the town square of Porrera in “La Final,” the name for the oldest and largest private building of the village, which has always been used for winemaking. Wines are vinified by variety and parcel using low volume tanks, where over 90 different micro-fermentations are performed each year. Manual punch downs are performed and post-fermentative maceration lasts 15 days, followed by a soft press. All wines are aged in 100% French oak barrels with a light-medium toast and racked once before bottling.
Based on their overall philosophy, Vall Llach has imposed a ceiling on production and growth in order never to lose the personal connection and supervision exerted over each stage of the winemaking process. Their commitment to micro-production in the vineyards and attention to detail in the cellar have led to admiration from wine enthusiasts around the world for their outstanding and timeless wines.
Stand up and take note: this is great wine from Priorat.