Region / Appellation: Priorat DOQ
Producer: Celler Vall Llach
Grape Variety: 26% Garnacha, 24% Merlot, 17% Syrah, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cariñena
Type: Red
Size: 375ml
Alcohol Content: 15%
Vall Llach's Embruix (pronounced Embroosh), means "bewitching" in Catalan and the name, along with the symbol of a full moon on the wine's label, is a testament to the winery's interest in biodynamic winemaking.
Critic Reviews:
93 Points Guía Peñin
90 Points Wine Spectator (Thomas Matthews)
"This plush red delivers ripe, generous flavors of black cherry, boysenberry, lilac and vanilla, supported by well-integrated tannins and fresh acidity. Harmonious and lively. Drink now through 2024."
90 Points Wine Enthusiast
"Schist, cola, cassis, berry and tobacco aroma cover all the bases in this wine. It's grippy and chewy but complete. Dark, earthy mulled berry flavors precede a tannic, pulpy finish with lasting plum and cassis notes. Drink through 2021."
90 Points Decanter World Wine Awards
Winemaking Notes:
In order to ensure optimum grape quality, all vineyard blocks and all varieties were manually harvested and vilified separately; over 90 separate micro-fermentations were performed. The resulting wine was aged in 225 and 300 liter second and third wine barriques of light-and medium-toasted fine grained new French oak. The barrels were racked once during the total aging time of 14 moths and the wine was then bottled in March of 2016.
Tasting Note:
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 2014 Embruix de Vall Llach is lush and round on the mid-palate with notes of chocolate-covered cherries and soft black liquorice on the finish.
About the Winery:
From its founding in the early 1990s, by famed Spanish singer Lluís Llach and notary Enric Costa, Vall Llach winemaking has been governed by a commitment to rigor and quality. The winery lies in the tiny village of Porerra, in southern Catalonia, in the highly-acclaimed D.O.Q. Priorat. Here, the magnificent century-old vineyard estates of Vall Llach are home to 60- to 90-year-old Cariñena and Garnacha vines.
Old vines naturally produce low yields, and Vall Llach reduces yields even further through careful vineyard management for densely concentrated wines. Vineyards climb steep slate hillsides, receiving optimum sun exposure and beneficial water deprivation, further concentrating the fruit. Newer plantings of Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah add complexity to the old-vine character, and the resulting wines - Vall Llach, Idus, and Embruix - have received high critical acclaim.