2004 Vall Llach

A big contrast to the Dofi in that this is very ripe, almost overripe. Tarry plus superripe black fruits and not quite refreshing enough for my taste. A bit of heat on the end, though certainly impressive and quite forward because of all that ripeness… (JR)

The 2004 Vall Llach is the flagship wine of the estate. Produced from estate old-vine fruit consisting of 65% Carinena, 20% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine was aged for 16 months in new French oak. Purple-colored, the nose offers scents of pain grille, fresh herbs, mineral, spice box, and blackberry liqueur. On the palate the wine is backward and unyielding. Full-bodied (15.5% alcohol), and packed, there is plenty of ripe tannins and excellent balance but purchasers of this wine will require patience. The 2004 Vall Llach will need a minimum of a decade of cellaring to blossom. It should easily last for several decades but will it ever be fun to drink? If I were young and a gambler, I’d lay away a handful of bottles and roll the dice later in life. Feb 2007, www.robertparker.com