Prices are displayed for delivery in:
The younger sibling of the world-famous Uni de la Vega Sicilia undergoes a slightly shorter élevage but is just as magnificent! More info
Vega Sicilia Unico’s younger brother, Valbuena is bottled after 5 years of aging. Sophisticated and elegant, the wine is characterised by notes of ripe fruits and spices.
Ribera Del Duero DO Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5º ano Alvarez serve at a temperature of 16°C. It will pair perfectly with the following dishes: Chevreuil sauce poivrade, Canette rôtie aux cèpes aillées, Viandes.
What the experts say...
"5º = released 5th year after harvest. 100% Tinto Fino. Aged 5 months in large wooden barrels, 18 months in new French/US oak, 3 months in used casks, then 5 months in vats before bottling. The colour of elderberry juice. Spice, sweet tobacco and dark dark fruit that has both fruit and savoury qualities. Starting to release its elegant aromas even though on the palate it is dark, dry and refined. Paper fine and yet compact tannins, depth from very fine layers. Youthful but already sophisticated.", Julia Harding MW
Vega Sicilia Unico’s younger brother, Valbuena is bottled after 5 years of aging. Sophisticated and elegant, the wine is characterised by notes of ripe fruits and spices.
Planted on mainly limestone soil similar to Burgundy, the Vega Sicilia vineyard is home to one of the world's greatest wines. Despite what it may seem, this legendary wine has nothing to do with Sicily, and instead takes its name from the Santos Sicilia family who owned the vineyard before 1864, with Vega meaning ‘valley’ in Spanish.
Out of the property’s 1000 hectares, which can be as high as 700 metres above sea level, looking down on the Duero (or Douro) River, 210 are dedicated to grape growing. Today, Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec) make up 20% of the vines with the remaining 80% being the local Tempranillo. The climate at the estate is continental with an Atlantic influence.
Vega Sicilia's defining feature lies in its unique ageing process, which is a subject of much controversy. The wine is aged in large oak barrels from the very first year, and then decanted into different barrels of varying ages and sizes. Next comes an ageing period of five to ten years, allowing this phenomenally powerful wine's temperament to be softened. Some mature vintages were aged for over 25 years in barrels. Nowadays, the estate operates a more ‘classic’ ageing process of no more than ten or so years.
Do you have an identical wine?
Sell it!Free estimate
