




Embruix de Vall Llach
DOQ Priorat
Tasting Notes
Deep cherry red in color with a garnet rim, this wine contains aromas of dark fruits, cured cherry with an overlaying herbal sage and black licorice aspect, light powdery cocoa notes and violets. Slightly more crisp red fruits on the palate but the wine drifts a touch weighty overall. Intense and concentrated for an entry-level Priorat, the 2018 Embruix de Vall Llach has well-integrated acidity, round tannins and great structure, assuring this wine will age well for many years.
Winemaking Notes
Fermented in stainless steel tanks with 17 days of fermentation at 77°F - 84°F. Including daily pigeage and gentle remontage and 12 days of post-fermentation maceration, followed by gentle pressing. The wine was transferred to 225 and 300 liter third and fourth wine barrels of medium toasted fine-grained new French oak.
Vineyard Notes
Situated in one of the D.O.Q. Priorat’s oldest towns, Porrera, the relatively “young” vines that make up this wine are located on steep slopes comprised entirely of slate, known locally as llicorella. Due to the steep slopes’ inability to retain water and the dry, fiery climate, even the clusters that come from Vall Llach’s youngest vineyards are small and dense, providing the Embruix with its characteristic “bewitching” quality.
THE ESTATE-OWNED VINEYARDS
Vineyards: Six estate-owned vineyards
Elevation: 990-1,500 feet
Slope: terraces planted on 30-70% slopes
Size: 74 acres
Number of vines planted: est. 2,000 vines/acre
Production per vine: average of 1,000 grams
Vineyard planted: 1994-2000 (average age = 20+ years-old)
Technical Info
Varietals: Garnache, Syrah, Merlot, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.5%
RS: 0.3 g/l
Tasting Notes
Deep cherry red in color with a garnet rim, this wine contains aromas of dark fruits, cured cherry with an overlaying herbal sage and black licorice aspect, light powdery cocoa notes and violets. Slightly more crisp red fruits on the palate but the wine drifts a touch weighty overall. Intense and concentrated for an entry-level Priorat, the 2018 Embruix de Vall Llach has well-integrated acidity, round tannins and great structure, assuring this wine will age well for many years.
Vineyard Notes
Situated in one of the D.O.Q. Priorat’s oldest towns, Porrera, the relatively “young” vines that make up this wine are located on steep slopes comprised entirely of slate, known locally as llicorella. Due to the steep slopes’ inability to retain water and the dry, fiery climate, even the clusters that come from Vall Llach’s youngest vineyards are small and dense, providing the Embruix with its characteristic “bewitching” quality. THE ESTATE-OWNED VINEYARDS Vineyards: Six estate-owned vineyards Elevation: 990-1,500 feet Slope: terraces planted on 30-70% slopes Size: 74 acres Number of vines planted: est. 2,000 vines/acre Production per vine: average of 1,000 grams Vineyard planted: 1994-2000 (average age = 20+ years-old)
Tasting Notes
Deep cherry red in color with a garnet rim, this wine contains aromas of dark fruits, cured cherry with an overlaying herbal sage and black licorice aspect, light powdery cocoa notes and violets. Slightly more crisp red fruits on the palate but the wine drifts a touch weighty overall. Intense and concentrated for an entry-level Priorat, the 2018 Embruix de Vall Llach has well-integrated acidity, round tannins and great structure, assuring this wine will age well for many years.
Vintage Notes
The 2018 vintage in DOQ Priorat turned out to be a balance between climatic extremes. Rainfall above average at the beginning of the growing season and spring was then answered by very hot temperatures following verasion and the lack of rain during July and August. The early ripening that resulted was moderated during the month of September, though, when light rains, dry wind from the north and a significant drop in temperatures favored a slower and more balanced maturity of the grapes’ concentration, which had been quickly accelerated during the hotter months. Harvest started early, in the second half of September and was finished mid October. Overall, it can be said that the 2018 vintage in DOQ Priorat produced healthy and exceptional grapes, and wines that are very pure and direct aromatically, described by winemaker Albert Costa as ‘mature, structured wines that are concentrated and elegant and with good acidity…characteristics that are all ideal for long bottle aging.’
Winemaking Notes
In order to ensure optimum grape quality, all vineyard blocks and all varieties were manually harvested and vinified separately; over 90 separate micro-fermentations were performed. After de-stemming, alcoholic fermentation took place between 25-29ºC in 2,500L and 5,000L stainless steel tanks over 15 days, with daily manual punch-downs. Post-fermentative maceration lasted 12 days, followed by a soft press at which time the wine went through malolactic fermentation 50% in stainless steel tank and 50% in barrel. The resulting wine was then aged in fine grain, 225- and 300-liter third- and fourth-year French oak barrels with a light-to-medium toast. The barrels were racked once during the total aging time of 12 months.
Vineyard Notes
Situated in one of the D.O.Q. Priorat’s oldest towns, Porrera, the relatively “young” vines that make up this wine are located on steep slopes comprised entirely of slate, known locally as llicorella. Due to the steep slopes’ inability to retain water and the dry, fiery climate, even the clusters that come from Vall Llach’s youngest vineyards are small and dense, providing the Embruix with its characteristic “bewitching” quality. THE ESTATE-OWNED VINEYARDS Vineyards: Six estate-owned vineyards Elevation: 990-1,500 feet Slope: terraces planted on 30-70% slopes Size: 74 acres Number of vines planted: est. 2,000 vines/acre Production per vine: average of 1,000 grams Vineyard planted: 1994-2000 (average age = 20+ years-old)
Technical Info
Total Acidity: 4.9 g/l (0.49%) pH: 3.69 Alcohol by Volume: 15% Varietal Blend: 32% Garnacha, 26% Syrah, 21% Merlot, 15% Cariñena, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes
Dark cherry red in color with a garnet rim, this wine contains alluring aromas of ripe plums, freshly ground black pepper and clove. Intense and naturally concentrated for an entry-level wine, the Embruix is lush and round on the mid-palate with notes of chocolate-covered cherries and soft black licorice on the finish.
Vintage Notes
The 2017 vintage in DOQ Priorat turned out to be a balance between climatic extremes. Rainfall above average at the beginning of the growing season and spring was then answered by very hot temperatures following verasion and the lack of rain during July and August. The early ripening that resulted was moderated during the month of September, though, when light rains, dry wind from the north and a significant drop in temperatures favored a slower and more balanced maturity of the grapes’ concentration, which had been quickly accelerated during the hotter months.Harvest started early, in the second half of September and was finished between October 18thand 21st.Overall, it can be said that the 2017 vintage in DOQ Priorat produced healthy and exceptional grapes, and wines that are very pure and direct aromatically, described by winemaker Albert Costa as ‘mature, structured wines that are concentrated and elegant and with good acidity…characteristics that are all ideal for long bottle aging.’
Winemaking Notes
In order to ensure optimum grape quality, all vineyard blocks and all varieties were manually harvested and vinified separately; over 90 separate micro-fermentations were performed. After de-stemming, alcoholic fermentation took place between 25-29ºC in 2,500L and 5,000L stainless steel tanks over 15 days, with daily manual punch-downs. Post-fermentative maceration lasted 12 days, followed by a soft press at which time the wine went through malolactic fermentation 50% in stainless steel tank and 50% in barrel. The resulting wine was then aged in fine grain, 225- and 300-liter third- and fourth-year French oak barrels with a light-to-medium toast. The barrels were racked once during the total aging time of 12 months.
Vineyard Notes
Situated in one of the D.O.Q. Priorat’s oldest towns, Porrera, the relatively “young” vines that make up this wine are located on steep slopes comprised entirely of slate, known locally as llicorella. Due to the steep slopes’ inability to retain water and the dry, fiery climate, even the clusters that come from Vall Llach’s youngest vineyards are small and dense, providing the Embruix with its characteristic “bewitching” quality.
Technical Info
Total Acidity: 4.9 g/l (0.49%) pH: 3.69 Alcohol by Volume: 15.5% Varietal Blend: 27% Garnacha, 26% Merlot, 21% Syrah ,18% Cariñena, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes
Deep cherry red in color with a garnet rim, this wine contains soft aromas of black plumbs, cherry liqueur, freshly milled spice (including clove and black pepper), intertwined with earthy mineral notes. Intense and concentrated for an entry-level Priorat, the 2016 Embruix de Vall Llach has well-integrated acidity, round tannins and great structure, assuring this wine will age well for many years.
Vintage Notes
The 2016 vintage in Priorat was considered to be exceptional due to the lack of rain, beautifully moderate temperatures and the presence of dry air during key moments of the cycle of the vine. The year was marked by a dry winter, a rainy early spring and a rather cool and dry summer/early fall. While temperatures began to rise a few weeks following verasion, which accelerated the concentration of grape sugars, the heightened maturation was slowed down during the month of October, when moderate rains favored a slower and more balanced end of maturity. Harvest was delayed a full 3-8 days later than usual, ending on the 4th of November, with perfectly healthy and non-desiccated clusters. Overall it can be said that the 2016 vintage in Priorat exhibited an excellent extended maturation, which winemaker Albert Costa said gave rise to ‘mature, structured wines that are concentrated and elegant and with good acidity…characteristics that are all ideal for long bottle aging.’
Winemaking Notes
Upon entry into the winery: In order to ensure optimum grape quality, all vineyard blocks and all varieties are manually harvested and vinified separately. Vinification: After de-stemming, alcoholic fermentation takes place between 25-29 ºC in 2,500L and 5,000L stainless steel tanks over 17 days, with daily manual punch-downs. Post-fermentative maceration lasts 12 days, and is followed by a soft press, after which 50% of the wine goes through ML in tank and 50% in barrel. Aging: Aged in fine grain, 225- and 300-liter third and fourth-year French oak barrels with a light-to-medium toast for a total time of 12 months. Bottling: March 2018
Vineyard Notes
Situated in one of the D.O.Q. Priorat’s oldest towns, Porrera, the relatively “young” vines that make up this wine are located on steep slopes comprised entirely of slate, known locally as llicorella. Due to the steep slopes’ inability to retain water and the dry, fiery climate, even the clusters that come from Vall Llach’s youngest vineyards are small and dense, providing the Embruix with its characteristic “bewitching” quality. THE ESTATE-OWNED VINEYARDS Vineyards: Six estate-owned vineyards Elevation: 990-1,500 feet Slope: terraces planted on 30-70% slopes Size: 74 acres Number of vines planted: est. 2,000 vines/acre Production per vine: average of 1,000 grams Vineyard planted: 1994-2000 (average age = 20 years-old)
Technical Info
Wine analysis: 4.9 g/l (0.49%) total acidity; 3.57 pH; 15.50% alcohol by volume Varietal Blend: 25% Merlot, 23% Garnacha, 21% Cariñena, 20% Syrah, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon