Consistency and Value from Priorat
Known for its dramatic slate terraces, old vines, and wines of intensity, Priorat is a place that often produces bottles of immense power—sometimes at equally immense prices. That’s why Vall Llach stands out. This estate has been crafting wines of remarkably consistent excellence year after year, delivering the depth and richness that Priorat is celebrated for, while keeping the focus firmly on balance and drinkability.
Founded in the early 1990s by the beloved Catalan singer Lluís Llach and his friend Enric Costa, Vall Llach quickly became part of Priorat’s modern renaissance. From the start, the estate refused to chase sheer power alone, instead pursuing a vision of wines that married intensity with elegance. Over the decades, that commitment has given them a reputation for consistency across vintages—something rare in such a rugged landscape.
The 2022 Embruix is a perfect example of this balance. It is undeniably a full-bodied Priorat, with 15% alcohol and the dark, concentrated fruit that the region is known for, yet it never tips into heaviness. The power is carried on a spine of freshness and minerality, a reminder of the llicorella slate soils that define Priorat. Notes of spice and ripe fruit are layered and precise, and while this is a wine with plenty of structure, it finishes with grace. Vall Llach has a gift for harnessing intensity without sacrificing drinkability, and Embruix delivers that in spades.
Just as compelling is the 2023 Porerra Vi de Vila Blanco. Vall Llach’s white wines are still something of a hidden treasure, but they deserve attention. This is not a timid white: it has richness and weight, but also a lifted brightness that keeps it lively at the table. It’s a wine that reflects the same philosophy as their reds—depth matched with balance. In a region better known for reds, the Porerra Blanco shows that Priorat’s whites can be just as distinctive, capturing the essence of the place with texture and vibrancy.
Taken together, these wines showcase the remarkable value that Vall Llach continues to deliver in one of Spain’s most prestigious appellations. Priorat’s wines at this level often come with price tags to match their reputation, yet Vall Llach manages to offer bottles that rival the greats in complexity and character without ever feeling inaccessible. They are wines of place, of consistency, and of balance, and they remind us why Priorat remains one of the most thrilling regions in the world.
92 Points, Wine Advocate
The red 2022 Embruix was produced with 28% Merlot, 27% Garnacha, 21% Cariñena, 12% Syrah and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon from the younger vineyards. This represents the entry-level. It has notes of sweet spices and cocoa, with ripe fruit (it has 15% alcohol) but a low pH (3-1) and good acidity; so, it comes through as balanced and characterful, with very fine tannins and a velvety mouthfeel, with integrated oak. It matured in third- and fourth-use 300-liter barrels for 12 to 13 months. They bottled a first lot of 13,000 bottles in March 2024, and two more lots are pending.
91 Points, Vinous
The 2023 Blanco Porrera Vi de Vila is 100% Garnatxa Blanca from various vineyards in Porrera, Priorat. Fermented with skin contact and aged for three months in foudres, this golden-hued wine offers a briny aroma of kumquat and herbs, with a hint of orange peel. Dry, rich and somewhat tannic due to the skins, it delivers a fruity expression and an ample mouthfeel.
