How can two teetotalers set up a winery that becomes a model in the region? The unlikely story of Celler Vall Llach starts with its main instigator: Catalan singer-songwriter Lluís Llach, a renowned artist in Spain who fought Franco’s dictatorship with his non-conformist music. After his mother’s death in 1983, he inherited her house and land in the village of Porrera and decided to settle there. At the time, Priorat was an impoverished, isolated region where winegrowers struggled to make ends meet. The area had never fully recovered from phylloxera, and in the 1980s it was further hit by the so called “Turkish hazelnut crisis” affecting another key local crop.

A social mission 

Determined to improve the living conditions of his neighbours, Llach sought help from his friend Enric Costa, a notary based in Vic (Barcelona), and “The Magnificent Five” (René Barbier, José Luis Pérez, Álvaro Palacios, Carles Pastrana and Daphne Glorian), who were already making fine wines in the neighbouring village of Gratallops. José Luis Pérez of Mas Martinet helped Llach replicate their model in Porrera by refurbishing the village’s cooperative and releasing Cims de Porrera.

During the following years, Lluís steadily boughtvineyard plots –working the steep vineyards of Porrera was arduous and many winegrowers were eager to sell. As his holdings grew, he decided to set up his own winery with his teetotaler friend Enric Costa, thus Vall Llach was born with the 1998 vintage.

Rather than building new, utilitarian facilities, they chose to invest in the village’s heritage restoring  two landmark buildings in Porrera: Cal Baldrich and La Final, the latter being the oldest private cellar for wine production, located in the town’s main square. In 2021, the Filomena blizzard caused the roof to collapse, destroying much of the wine in production and in bottles . Despite the devastation, the winery was rebuilt into a more efficient and sustainable facility.

Albert Costa, Enric's son, took over the winery after his father's death in 2013 and is now the majority owner, although Lluís Llach remains a stakeholder. Indeed, Costa often acknowledges Llach's pivotal role in the development of the business. “While ‘The Magnificent Five’ led Priorat’s  winemaking revolution, Lluís Llach sparked its social revolution,” he says.

Refining the style

After studying agronomy in Barcelona and oenology in Tarragona, Costa worked in Australia and California. He is responsible for the change of style in the wines. He has shifted away from the extreme ripeness and high alcohol levels of the past focusing instead on balance and finesse. Vall Llach boasts an impressive collection  of high-quality old vine Cariñena, which is the star grape in most of its wines. Costa has also converted the vineyards to organic farming and introduced lighter bottles across the range.

The jewel of the house is Mas de la Rosa, a distinctive vineyard planted in 1900 on steep slopes as steep as 70%. Initially part of the Vall Llach blend,  it was obvious that it deserved to stand alone as a premium wine. This red, which was awarded Catalonia’s single vineyard category (vino de finca), later became a vinya classificada following the approval of Priorat's new sites and vineyards classification, eventually earning the prestigious  gran vinya classificada status, equivalent to a grand cru.  Fewer than 2,000 bottles are produced annually,  selling for around €275 in Spain.

Porrera Vi de Vila (fewer than 5,000 bottles, €55), has been Vall Llach's village wine  from the outset, crafted primarily from old vine Cariñena, complemented by Garnacha.

The former Idus de Vall Llach,  which distinguished wines made from purchased grapes, has been replaced by Priorat de Vall Llach (39 €). This regional wine, made from old vines sourced from growers in Porrera, Torroja del Priorat and Escaladei, is described on the label as Vi de Pageses y Pagesos. Here Cariñena makes up 90% of the blend.

The only significant nod to Garnacha in the range is the new Mas d'en Caçador (€90), a 2022 release with a delicate, ethereal profile produced in limited quantities –fewer than 1,000 bottles.

The entry-level red Embruix de Vall Llach (65,000 bottles, €21) blends young Cariñena and Garnacha vines with the international varieties (Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah) still grown by the winery.

The range of whites has also grown and moved with the times. The single-varietal Viognier Aigua de Llum (€47) has been joined by Porrera Vi de Vila Blanco (10,000 bottles, €28), a village wine made from Garnacha Blanca. Additionally, the winery now produces Horta Colomer (fewer than 1,000 bottles, €45)  a Vino de Paraje (lieu-dit) made from equal parts Cariñena Blanca and Gris.

Vall Llach welcomes visitors for estate tours available by prior booking.