Vall Llach Idus 2006

  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
  • 93 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 92 Robert
    Parker
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Vall Llach Idus 2006 Front Label
Vall Llach Idus 2006 Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2006

Size
750ML

ABV
15.5%

Features
Collectible

Boutique

Your Rating

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

Idus is the result of a close collaboration between the Vall Llach estate and owners of trossos, or small vineyard blocks, who cultivate old-vine Cariñena and Garnacha. These ancient vineyards, located near the towns of Porrera and Torroja, Priorat, produce the essential Priorat character of this wine. The head-pruned, tiny "bonsai" vines yield naturally concentrated fruit that produce a wine ruby red in color with aromas of black licorice, marzipan, nutmeg and allspice. On the palate Idus is unctuous and mineral-rich with a very long finish. Meant to drink now or age for up to 30 years, this wine should be opened a half hour before consuming and served between 55-60ºC.

40% Cariñena, 20% Merlot, 15% Garnacha, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah.

Professional Ratings

  • 93
    A dense, rich and chewy red, showing dark chocolate, black cherry and licorice flavors, with fig pudding and mineral notes. Muscular tannins are balanced by lively acidity. Best from 2012 through 2020.
  • 93
    Another exellent Idus. The nose is jammed full of big berry, leather and earth aromas. In the mouth, it's pure to the hilt, with jammy depth and delicious flavors of blackberry, chocolate and licorice. Finishes toasty and creamy, with soft tannins and ease. Drink now through 2015.
  • 92
    The purple-colored 2006 Idus is made up of 40% Carinena, 20% Merlot, 15% Garnacha, and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah aged in a mix of new and used French oak for 14 months. It reveals a fragrant nose of cedar, spice box (nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon), mineral, black cherry, and licorice. Structured and a bit tightly wound on the palate, it has plenty of extract, savory flavors, excellent balance, and a lengthy finish. Give it 4-6 years in the cellar and drink it from 2014 to 2026.

Other Vintages

2007
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2005
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2004
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2002
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Vall Llach

Vall Llach

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Vall Llach, Spain
Vall Llach Porerra Village Winery Image
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.

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With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.

How to Serve Red Wine

A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.

How Long Does Red Wine Last?

Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.

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Tiny and entirely composed of craggy, jagged and deeply terraced vineyards, Priorat is a Catalan wine-producing region that was virtually abandoned until the early 1990s. This Spanish wine's renaissance came with the arrival of one man, René Barbier, who recognized the region’s forgotten potential. He banded with five friends to create five “Clos” in the village of Gratallops. Their aim was to revive some of Priorat’s ancient Carignan vines, as well as plant new—mainly French—varieties. These winemakers were technically skilled, well-trained and locally inspired; not surprisingly their results were a far cry from the few rustic and overly fermented wines already produced.

This movement escalated Priorat’s popularity for a few reasons. Its new wines were modern and made with well-recognized varieties, namely old Carignan and Grenache blended with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. When the demand arrived, scarcity commanded higher prices and as the region discovered its new acclaim, investors came running from near and far. Within ten years, the area under vine practically doubled.

Priorat’s steep slopes of licorella (brown and black slate) and quartzite soils, protection from the cold winds of the Siera de Monstant and a lack of water, leading to incredibly low vine yields, all work together to make the region’s wines unique. While similar blends could and are produced elsewhere, the mineral essence and unprecedented concentration of a Priorat wine is unmistakable.

YNG586223_2006 Item# 108557

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