Country: | Spain |
Region: | Priorat |
Winery: | Cellar Vall Llach |
Grape Type: | Carignan |
Vintage: | 2012 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
G.D. Vajra Bricco Delle Viole Barolo is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
The Barolo Bricco delle Viole shows the signature verticality of its vineyard. The wine is beautifully layered and - while restrained as it’s always the case in the youth of Bricco delle Viole - it also shows a complexity of layers with purple flowers, sweet spices and mineral tones. The palate is noble, with a refined acid spine and profound tannins that promise a long aging potential.
Among the historical vineyards of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is the highest and the closest to the Alps. It rises from 400 to 480 meters above sea level, on the Western ridge of the village. Its name, “Hill of Violets”, originates from the flowers that blossom early here due to the perfect south exposure. Up above the fogs, Bricco delle Viole enjoys the earliest sunrise and the last sunset every day. Thanks to its vines dating back to 1949 and -now- 1931, a dramatic diuturnal temperature range and this pure light, Bricco delle Viole generates a sophisticated and profound Barolo DOCG of bright aromatics, chiseled tannins and subtle minerality. 2018 is a vintage that shows many nuances of Bricco delle Viole: beyond the signature verticality of this site, the wine offers high tones laced with mineral nuances and plenty of energy and youth.
Review:
A juicy Barolo, with vibrant acidity and a fluid profile that exudes cherry, raspberry, mown hay, mineral and eucalyptus aromas and flavors. Tight yet long, with excellent potential.
#26 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
The last wine poured at my tasting at the winery is the G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Bricco delle Viole. With its high vantage point in the hills west of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is a world apart in terms of soils (with Sant'Agata marl and fossils) and even harvest times. Slow and careful ripening like the kind that characterizes fruit in 2019 renders a very delicate and ethereal expression with floral tones, wild mint and licorice. This organic wine is solid in build and structure. Indeed, Isidoro Vaira remarks that Nebbiolo tannins have changed since the 1970s and 1980s.
-Wine Advocate 97+ Points
Jeweled in appearance, the 2019 Barolo Bricco Delle Viole may be the best wine I have tried yet from Vajra. Its gorgeous and alluring perfume of fresh roses is followed by a Burgundian, elegant red with incredible length and no harsh edges, fine and present tannins, and beautiful, graceful concentration. It is drinking well now, and I will be trying to get my hands on as much of this as possible. Drink 2025-2045.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
The Grade Cabernet Sauvignon Serpent's Back Napa Valley is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Review:
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Serpent's Back shows a more aromatic, high-toned side of this site. Bright red/purplish berry fruit, pomegranate, cinnamon and sweet floral accents are all laced together. The Serpent's Back is the most refined of these three Cabernets, but it has plenty of Calistoga punch.
-- Antonio Galloni 95 Points
The Grade Cabernet Sauvignon Serpent's Back Napa Valley is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Review:
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Serpent's Back shows a more aromatic, high-toned side of this site. Bright red/purplish berry fruit, pomegranate, cinnamon and sweet floral accents are all laced together. The Serpent's Back is the most refined of these three Cabernets, but it has plenty of Calistoga punch.
-- Antonio Galloni 95 Points
The Grade Cellar Kingly Project Cabernet Sauvignon is made from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
"This is a noble expression of Cabernet Sauvignon" in full regalia, with decadent aromas and a mouthfeel viscous and sleek. "This vintage of the Kingly Project Cabernet Sauvignon enters the scene" -- Thomas Rivers Brown
Review:
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Kingly Vineyard is endowed with tremendous richness and concentration. It emerges from the best spots within Block 5, which is a bit more protected from the elements. The 2018 is a bit closed today, but it has a lot of promise. Time in the glass brings out layers of inky dark fruit and the savory, minerally notes that are such signatures. This potent Calistoga Cabernet needs time to shine, but it is impressive today just the same.
-Vinous 96 Points
The Grade Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard is made from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
“This wine expresses a focused balancing act of dark, rich black fruit, and a fine tannin structure, illuminated through the core with a laser-like acidity. The wine displays a deep purple-red hue with a cranberry halo. Aromas of cassis, cinnamon, citrus oil, roasted meat, and lilac swell from the glass.
“The palate is marked by a wave of jet-black brambly fruit up front, followed by an exotic spice mid-palate and a long, complex finish that lasts and lasts expressing notes of flowering jasmine, and oolong tea. The silky tannins hold everything together and will certainly allow this wine to evolve in the cellar for at least 7-10 years.” - Thomas River Brown
Review:
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard is an absolutely gorgeous wine that conveys a striking interplay of richness, power and nuance. Silky and restrained for this site, the Winfield offers up a compelling melange of red fruit, iron, cedar, tobacco, rose petal and dried herbs, all in a mid-weight style that is incredibly appealing. The Winfield is a selection taken from Blocks 1, 4 and 5.
-Vinous 94 Points
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee emerges from Andy Beckstoffer's portion of the To Kalon vineyard. Black cherry, blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate and dark spices are front and center. Young and tannic, the 2013 needs time for the tannins to soften. This is an especially ripe, flamboyant style for...
Review
From the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, the 2013 Coeur de la Vallée shows creamy tannins, beautiful blackberry and cassis fruit, and hints of blueberries, violets, forest floor and licorice. This is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc, and the black fruits are triumphant in this gorgeous wine. It should drink nicely for 25-30 years.
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 97 Points
Porrera’s great Carignan grapes are famous in the auspicious circles of world wine connoisseurs.
Celler Vall Llach is privileged to possess vineyards which grow extraordinary Carignan grapes and which have allowed the winery to release this new Vi de Vila de Porrera (new category of wine within the DOCa. Priorat which is based on the concept of village-level wines), as the winery’s true jewel.
Ancient Carignan vines, carefully selected from vineyards which are over a hundred years old and then blended with an average of 15% Grenache grapes.
These vines are from a different era and truly define the personality of our Porrera de Vall LLach.
The 2012 vintage was good in the cooler zones as the lack of rain and successive heat waves led to some grapes turning to raisin in the sunnier vineyards. Rainfall was well below the average levels of the previous years. This vintage can be characterised by a lack of rain, but most particularly by the successive heat waves which occurred from the month of May until the end of August. These heat waves caused the vines water stress as there was practically no rainfall from the middle of spring until the end of the summer. The effects of this were not apparent in the hotter zones and the vineyards with more sun exposure until the end of a spell of extreme temperatures in August.
This was due to the fact that relative humidity was higher than normal and the windy periods tended to be less intense. It rained in March and April and after that, rainfall tended to be insignificant until the beginning of July when it did not rain at all until the end of September. In terms of average temperatures during 2012, they tended to be normal. Regarding the different grape varieties, it is worth pointing out that Garnatxa (Grenache) and Carinyena (Carignan) better withstood water stress, whilst recently introduced varieties tended to turn more readily to raisin. This ability to better withstand drought was more visible in the older vineyards. Over the spring and summer months, the scarce rainfall meant that grapes were very healthy and there were no problems with botrytis.
The grapes ripened healthily in the lead up to harvest. Up until the end of August, we did not observe any water stress and berry development and ripening continued without problems. This was a dry vintage from the flowering phase right up until the ripening phase and was characterised by a significant gap between levels of alcohol and phenolic
Review:
Ripe, lush and a touch raisiny on the nose, this smells like boysenberry pie and crème de cassis liqueur. Chewy, tannic and a bit heavy in this youthful state, this offering from vineyards in the town of Porrera (Vall Llach's home) delivers blackberry, cassis and prune flavors along with a toasty, chocolaty, oak-heavy finish. Best from 2016 through 2021. - Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Focussing on quality over quantity, Celler Vall Llach has firmly embraced a small-is beautiful ethos of microproduction for its vineyards and "trossos".
Consistent with this philosophy, the celler has imposed a ceiling on production and growth in order never to lose the personal and thorough supervision exerted over each stage of the process of wine making.
All this, and the unique character of Priorat allow us to offer you wines that Vall Llach hopes you will find fascinating and exclusive
To the East of Priorat (Southern Catalunya), few kilometers from Coll Teixeta, we find Porrera, a historical Priorat municipality where Celler Vall Llach was created.
The township takes up 28,54 km² and spreads along the valley of the Cortiella River, which flows across the territory from East to West and finally runs into the Siurana River. The northern and western sectors are limited for La Serra del Molló. Practically the whole territory is covered with vineyards.
After the depopulation of La Garrantxa, Porrera is the only populated centre in the municipality.
You can arrive from Falset by T-740; from Reus by first taking N-420 (to Coll Teixeta) and later by TP-7041; from Cornudella de Montsant by taking C-242 (until Venta d'en Pubill) and then by TP-7402 to Porrera.
Porrera is a farming town but only a 40% of the land is cultivated. The rest are waste lands covered with brushwood and forests. The chief crops are vine, almond and hazelnut trees. There are some unused beads of lead and baryta and also some fountains of ferrous water.
The farming co-operative was founded in 1932.
Along the centuries Porrera earned itself the reputatio of 'the most rebellious city in Catalunya' but, History has also proved that the village has always fought for liberty.
Despite the continuous wars and fights that destroyed the village, Porrera has built and rebuilt its buildings and kept its noble and proud appearance. The sumptuous buildings, the wide streets and the rivers evoke its glorious past.
The most remarkable building in the Neoclassical parish church of Sant Joan Evangelista built between 1763 and 1711.
Visitors should not miss the hermitage of Sant Antoni Abad built in 1610 on top of a craggy hill, and also the route along the sundials spread all over the village.
Tenuta di Arceno Strada al Sasso Chianti Classico Gran Selezione.
Strada al Sasso is our flagship Sangiovese and is sourced exclusively from the La Porta vineyard block of our Tuscan estate. This is the most intense, brooding, concentrated and complex of our DOCG wines. While this wine drinks well in its youth, it is built to evolve and improve over the next decade or more. This red wine shows aromas of dark-toned fruit, roasted coffee and violets. On the palate are dried red fruits, baking spice and tobacco. The lingering finish shows minerality, and balanced tannins. This Wine has a Cork closure. Alcohol Content: 14.5% Pair with antipasti, margherita or pepperoni pizza, spaghetti bolognese, and eggplant or chicken parmigiana.
The Strada al Sasso is 100% Sangiovese and comes from a single windswept vineyard block within our prized La Porta vineyard. This exceptional micro-cru features high-density spacing, careful matching of rootstocks and clones to the soils, and low yields. The soils are 38% sandstone, 32% limestone, 30% loam, and galestro. La Porta means “the door” or “the opening.”
The vineyard sits directly in the front of the walled town of San Gusmè, offering the most spectacular view as you drive up to town. The vines were replanted at an altitude of 420-450 meters (1400-1450 feet) above sea level between 1998 and 2001 with nine different clones of Sangiovese, including some Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello) on five different rootstocks. The grapes are hand-picked and cold soaked for four days and fermented on skins for 16-20 days, depending on year and fruit ripeness, then drained directly into barrel for malolactic fermentation.
No fining or additives of any kind are used. Pierre Seillan works closely with winemaker Lawrence Cronin and his Italian team, believing his job is to respect tradition, but also enhance the future.
Review:
The sensory quality imposes a deep and rich matrix of identity in the mixed floral and fruity scents of lavender, violet, agapanthus, magnolia, orange blossom, blue plums, pressed blueberries and warm white stone. Full body, silky tannins, enveloping but not ruffling, it relaxes in a very pleasant bite that from the center of the palate onwards creates length and persistence. What a phenomenon. Impossible to resist it but better from
-WinesCritic.com 97 Points
Cortenova Montepulciano d' Abruzzo is made from 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Deep ruby red color with violet highlights and a pleasant and fruity bouquet. Full bodied, soft tannins and good acidity.
Excellent with pasta dishes and red meats.