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Domain: Vega Sicilia

Vega Sicilia is to Ribera del Duero what Romanée-Conti is to Burgundy and what Petrus is to Bordeaux - a legendary wine that propels the rest of its appellation. There's no time to waste to discover this Spanish treasure.

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.