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Idus de Vall Llach
DOQ Priorat
Winemaking Notes
The wine was transferred to 225 and 300 litre second wine barrels of light- and medium-toasted fine grained new French oak. The wine was moved once during the ageing period of 14 months.
Technical Info
3.57 pH 15.0% alcohol by volume
Tasting Notes
The 2017 Idus is multifaceted, with alluring aromas of red forest fruit, fleshy black plums, hints of forest herbs, wood smoke and dark minerals. Wide on the palate, the wine is both powerful and fresh for an old-vine Priorat; displaying good acidity, round tannins and an incredibly long 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 18th and 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
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 5 days, and is followed by a soft press, after which 50% of the wine goes through ML in stainless steel tank and 50% in barrel. Aging: Aged in fine grain, 225- and 300-liter second-year French oak barrels with a light toast for a total time of 14 months. Bottling: May 2019
Technical Info
Blend is 90% Cariñena, 10% Garnacha 5.2 g/l (0.52%) total acidity 3.55 pH 15.0% alcohol by volume
Vineyard Notes
The old vines that make up this wine are located in areas with enviable conditions due to their picturesque surroundings, hours of sunshine and elevation above sea level. The incredibly rocky slopes are impressive to the eye, and prevent any kind of mechanical farming, mandating an intimate and exclusive relationship with the wine grower. Celler Vall Llach counts on the enthusiastic collaboration of growers that own trossos, or fine old vineyard blocks, who during some very difficult years, continued to cultivate the traditional Cariñena and Garnacha grape varieties. Selected each year from the best old vineyard blocks that surround the emblematic village of Porrera, these ancient vines define the character of Idus de Vall Llach. A slow, manual harvest took place between September 15th and October 21st, where some of the best naturally-concentrated fruit found growing on the eastern side of Priorat was collected for making this singular wine.
Tasting Notes
The 2016 Idus is multifaceted, with alluring aromas of red forest fruit, fleshy black plums, hints of forest herbs, wood smoke and dark minerals. Wide on the palate, the wine is both powerful and fresh for an old-vine Priorat; displaying good acidity, round tannins and an incredibly long finish.
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 toast for a total time of 14 months. Bottling: March 2017
Technical Info
Blend is 90% Cariñena, 10% Garnacha 5.2 g/l (0.52%) total acidity 3.55 pH 15.0% alcohol by volume
Vineyard Notes
The old vines that make up this wine are located in areas with enviable conditions due to their picturesque surroundings, hours of sunshine and elevation above sea level. The incredibly rocky slopes are impressive to the eye, and prevent any kind of mechanical farming, mandating an intimate and exclusive relationship with the wine grower. Celler Vall Llach counts on the enthusiastic collaboration of growers that own trossos, or fine old vineyard blocks, who during some very difficult years, continued to cultivate the traditional Cariñena and Garnacha grape varieties. Selected each year from the best old vineyard blocks that surround the emblematic village of Porrera, these ancient vines define the character of Idus de Vall Llach. A slow, manual harvest took place between September 15th and October 28th, where some of the best naturally-concentrated fruit found growing on the eastern side of Priorat was collected for making this singular wine.
Tasting Notes
The head-pruned, tiny “bonsai” vines yield tiny, naturally concentrated grapes that produce an inky red wine with incredibly complex aromas and flavors. An elegant and modern wine, soft mineral tones are produced by the Cariñena vines that are balanced and structured by the inclusion of old-vine Garnacha.
Vintage Notes
Albert Costa characterized the 2015 vintage as having a moderate winter with a small amount (around 10 cm) of snowfall in the middle of February. The beginning of spring was less rainy that usual, with slightly warmer temperatures than in previous years. A rainy end of spring/beginning of summer provided the vineyards with a substantial amount of underground water, allowing the vines to face another hot and dry summer, as is typically found during the summer months in Priorat. Harvest was said to have proceeded in a ‘calm’ fashion and overall, the 2015 vintage was said to produce grapes of very good quality.
Winemaking Notes
A pre-fermentation cold maceration took place for three days before alcoholic fermentation began. De-stemmed grapes were fermented in 2,500 and 5,000 liter stainless steel tanks between 25-29ºC over 17 days, with soft, daily manual punch-downs. In order to ensure optimum grape quality, all vineyard blocks were harvested and vinified separately, with over 90 different micro-fermentations performed. Post-fermentative maceration lasted 5 days, followed by a soft press. Fifty percent of the wine then went through malolactic fermentation in tank and 50% in barrel, before it was aged in fine grain, 225 and 300 liter first- and second-year French oak barrels with a light toast. The barrels were racked once during the total aging time of 14 months and the wine was bottled in March of 2017.
Technical Info
Blend is 64% Cariñena, 36% Garnacha 4.9 g/l (0.49%) total acidity 3.60 pH 15.5% alcohol by volume
Vineyard Notes
The old vines that make up this wine are located in areas with enviable conditions due to their picturesque surroundings, hours of sunshine and elevation above sea level. The incredibly rocky slopes are impressive to the eye, and prevent any kind of mechanical farming, mandating an intimate and exclusive relationship with the wine grower. Celler Vall Llach counts on the enthusiastic collaboration of growers that own trossos, or fine old vineyard blocks, who during some very difficult years, continued to cultivate the traditional Cariñena and Garnacha grape varieties. Selected each year from the best old vineyard blocks that surround the emblematic village of Porrera, these ancient vines define the character of Idus de Vall Llach. A slow, manual harvest took place between September 15th and October 28th, where some of the best naturally-concentrated fruit found growing on the eastern side of Priorat was collected for making this singular wine.
Tasting Notes
Dark cherry in color, with a garnet rim, this stunning wine has rich aromas of fresh Mediterranean herbs, red berries, ripe plums and graphite in the nose, with sumptuous notes of candied-apples, cinnamon, fresh blackberries and marzipan found on the palate.
Vintage Notes
Albert Costa characterized the 2014 vintage as producing wines with a lot of aromatic intensity, a soft entry into the mouth and with noble minerality. The year began well, with the Porrera region receiving enough rain in spring to endure the hot and dry summer. The Vall Llach team began harvesting their white grapes on September 11, in line with previous years, and the red grape varieties began verasion in a very healthy fashion. Two weeks after the harvest of their white grapes, however, a week of solid rain began, which made the Vall Llach team fear that the health of their red grape clusters may not be as good as they had initially hoped. Thankfully, another spell of cool, dry air hit Priorat in mid-October and the Vall Llach team was able harvest healthy old-vine Cariñena clusters during the last week of October. Considered to be a very fresh year that produced markedly fresh red Priorat wines, the 2014 Idus may be enjoyed now and should age well in bottle.
Winemaking Notes
A pre-fermentation cold maceration took place for three days before alcoholic fermentation began. De-stemmed grapes were fermented in 1,000 and 2,500 liter stainless steel tanks between 25-29ºC over 17 days, with daily manual punch-downs. In order to ensure optimum grape quality, all vineyard blocks were harvested and vinified separately, with over 90 different micro-fermentations performed. Post-fermentative maceration lasted 5 days, followed by a soft press. 100% percent of the wine then went through malolactic fermentation in tank before it was aged in fine grain, 225 and 300 liter first- and second-year French oak barrels with a light toast. The barrels were racked once during the total aging time of 14 months and the wine was bottled in May of 2016.
Technical Info
Blend is 70% Cariñena, 25% Garnacha, plus a 5% blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah & Merlot. 5.4 g/l (0.54%) total acidity 3.50 pH 15.5% alcohol by volume
Vineyard Notes
The old vines that make up this wine are located in areas with enviable conditions due to their picturesque surroundings, hours of sunshine and elevation above sea level. Their rocky slopes are impressive to the eye, and prevent any kind of mechanical farming, mandating an intimate and exclusive relationship with the wine grower. Selected from the choicest vineyard blocks each year, this wine is guaranteed to possess some of the best old-vine fruit that can be found in the Porrera and Torroja regions of Priorat.
Tasting Notes
A rich and smooth Priorat that surprises with its soft tannins, enticing aromas and slightly sweet finish, the Idus de Vall Llach is an homage to the old grape-growing families that have been farming Priorat’s rocky hillsides for generations.
Vintage Notes
Considered a dry vintage, due to the successive heat waves that hit the province of Tarragona from the month of May to the end of August, 2012 is said to be characterized by an uneven grape maturation in all regions of Priorat except for the very coolest. As the village where Celler Vall Llach is located lies closest to the Mediterranean sea, it is known to have cooler temperatures than other parts of Priorat. The growing season in Porrera typically lasts much longer and the grapes grown in the rocky hills surrounding the village are harvested later – a winning combination for achieving a perfect phenolic maturation. In the winemaker’s words, “over the spring and summer months, the scarce rainfall meant that our grapes were very healthy and we had no problems with botrytis. We did not observe any water stress in our vines throughout the summer months and our grapes ripened healthily all the way to harvest.”
Winemaking Notes
A pre-fermentation cold maceration took place for three days before alcoholic fermentation began. De-stemmed grapes were fermented in 1,000 and 2,500 liter stainless steel tanks between 25-29 ºC over 14-18 days, with daily manual punch-downs. In order to ensure optimum grape quality, all vineyard blocks were harvested and vinified separately, where over 90 different micro-fermentations were performed. Post-fermentative maceration lasted 15 days, followed by a soft press. Fifty percent of the wine then went through malolactic fermentation in tank and 50% in barrel before the wine was aged in fine grain, 225 and 300 liter first-and-second year French oak barrels with a light toast. The barrels were racked once during the total aging time of 16 months and the wine was bottled in June of 2014.
Technical Info
Blend is 76% Cariñena, 12% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Garnacha
Acidity: 4.8 g/L
pH: 3.40
Alcohol: 15.5%
Vineyard Notes
The old vines that make up this wine are located in areas with enviable conditions due to their picturesque surroundings, hours of sunshine and elevation above sea level. Their rocky slopes are impressive to the eye, and prevent any kind of mechanical farming, which mandates an intimate and exclusive relationship with the wine grower. Selected from the choicest vineyard blocks each individual year, this wine is guaranteed to possess some of the best fruit that can be found in the Porrera and Torroja regions of Priorat.
Tasting Notes
An elegant and modern Priorat that surprises with its soft mineral tones and rich, dark fruit flavors, the 2010 Idus de Vall Llach is balanced and structured, with both a soft and persistent finish.
Vintage Notes
Vintage 2010 began with a long, cold winter, during which enough snow and rain fell to maintain an important hydric reserve all the way through the later period of bud-break. The rain continued into the spring months, producing a vigorous vegetative cycle that lasted throughout flowering in the middle of June. Despite the abundant rainfall, however, both the vines’ flowers and leaves remained disease-free all the way to harvest, thanks to the moderate evening temperatures and warm, windy days that graced Priorat from the end of spring to the beginning of fall. After a healthy fruit set, veraison also began later than normal, giving way to a nice and slow phenolic maturation – perfect conditions for producing wines of exceptional quality from the typically sweltering, rocky hillsides of Priorat. Harvest began in Porrera towards the end of September and finished during the second week of November, where each individual vineyard block was harvested only when it had reached its optimum ripeness. From a “quiet, slow and cool vintage,” the 2010 wines from Celler Vall Llach should be exceptional upon release and will age gracefully over the next several years.
Winemaking Notes
A pre-fermentation cold maceration took place for three days before alcoholic fermentation began. De-stemmed grapes were fermented in 1,000 and 2,500 liter stainless steel tanks between 25-29 ºC over 14-18 days, with daily manual punch-downs. In order to ensure optimum grape quality, all vineyard blocks were harvested & vinified separately; over 90 different micro-fermentations were performed. Post-fermentative maceration lasted 15 days, followed by a soft press. Fifty percent of the wine then went through malolactic fermentation in tank and 50% in barrel before the wine was aged in fine grain, 225 and 300 liter first-and-second year French oak barrels with a light toast. The barrels were racked once during the total aging time of 16 months and the wine was bottled in April of 2013.
Technical Info
Blend is 45% Cariñena, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Garnacha, 10% Merlot and 12% Syrah
Acidity: 5.0 g/L
pH: 3.50
Alcohol: 15.5%
Vineyard Notes
The old vines that make up this wine are located in areas with enviable conditions due to their picturesque surroundings, hours of sunshine and elevation above sea level. Their rocky slopes are impressive to the eye, and prevent any kind of mechanical farming, which mandates an intimate and exclusive relationship with the wine grower. Selected from the choicest vineyard blocks each individual year, this wine is guaranteed to possess some of the best fruit that can be found in the Porrera and Torroja regions of Priorat.
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