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Ribera Del Duero DO Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5º ano Alvarez 2012

  • Black fruit
  • Gastronomic wine
  • Wine for ageing
  • Color: Red
  • 13% 
  • 2.25L
  • Intensity
  • Full-bodied

The younger sibling of the world-famous Uni de la Vega Sicilia undergoes a slightly shorter élevage but is just as magnificent! More info

  • Quantity: 3 Bottles
  • Level: 3 into-neck
  • Label: 3 good appearance
  • Origin: Private individual
  • Recoverable VAT: No
  • Country/Region: Spain, Castilla y Leon
  • Appellation/Wine: Ribera Del Duero DO
  • Producer/Owner: Famille Alvarez
  • More information....

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...

"Even if it's not widely mentioned, it always has had some French grapes, mainly Merlot, but this 2012 is the first Valbuena ever to be really 100% Tempranillo—because the Merlot didn't behave well in this warm and dry year. It follows the path opened by the 2010, more precise and elegant, rounded by that extra time in larger vats to finish polishing the tannins. I find this 2012 halfway between 2010 and 2011. It has depth and elegance, more serious than Alión, which is always the (maybe unfair) comparison. 174,545 bottles and some larger formats were filled in April 2014." (Luis Gutierez pour Wine Advocate)

Lot presentation
Ribera Del Duero DO Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5º ano Alvarez

The wine

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.

Information about domain Vega Sicilia

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.

Detailed characteristics

  • Quantity: 3 Bottles
  • Level: 3 into-neck
  • Label: 3 good appearance
  • Origin: Private individual
  • Type of cellar: Wine cabinet
  • Recoverable VAT: No
  • Original Wooden Case / Original Case: No
  • French customs seal: no
  • Alcohol percentage: 13 %
  • Country/Region: Spain, Castilla y Leon
  • Appellation/Wine: Ribera Del Duero DO
  • Producer/Owner: Famille Alvarez
  • Vintage: 2012
  • Color: Red
  • Service temperature: 16°
  • Viticulture: Environment friendly 
  • Intensity: Full-bodied
  • Dominant aroma: Black fruit
  • Tasting occasion: Gastronomic wine
  • Grape variety: 75% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 25% Merlot et Malbec

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