Vega Sicilia

About Vega Sicilia

Ribera del Duero sits as Spain’s premier winegrowing region today, with Vega-Sicilia being the jewel in the crown. Undoubtedly Spain’s First Growth, Vega-Sicilia, has risen to the top of winemaking in Spain since its inception in 1864 when Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves brought Cabernet and Merlot cuttings over from Bordeaux, planting them alongside the Spanish Tempranillo. It is also the only Spanish producer in the Liv-ex ‘Power 100’ list of the world’s most collectable wine estates. In 2019, it even jumped to 26^th place, where it is rated above Pétrus, Opus One and Le Pin.

Viniculture

Vega Sicilia speaks of the barren, hot, sunshine terraces of central Spain. These are complex wines that are a constant and enjoyable paradox: showing depth with brilliance, grace with power. Their top wine is the legendary Único. Crafted from some of the oldest vines in the appellation, Único is released after long periods of ageing at the estate. Mainly Tempranillo with a small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon, this Gran Reserva is only made in top vintages and accounts for as little as a third of the estate’s entire production.

The second wine, Valbuena 5°, uses the same blend as Único and is a pure expression of Tinto Fino (the local name for Tempranillo) with a splash of Merlot (6%). Named after the nearby village of Valbuena de Duero, the ‘5°’ refers to the age of the wine, released after five (quinto) years of barrel and bottle age, hence the name of the end product: Valbuena 5º.

Prices: In Bond Inc. TAX

Year	Wine	Region	Format	Qty	Score	Price
Vega Sicilia Unico 2006 (3x75cl) Inc. TAX: €1,250.85
2006	Vega Sicilia Unico 2006 (3x75cl) James Suckling (100) Incredibly floral and beautiful with dark berry, spice, cedar and mint. Chinese plums. Asian spices. Bark. Tea. Full body, dense and so soft and complex. The finish goes on for minutes. Endless and fine. January 2017 release. This reminds me of the gorgeous 1991 or 1964. Drink forever. A wine that you want to spend time with. In Stock in Cru LCB	Castilla y Leon	3x75cl	2	100 (JS) Read Review/Description	Inc. TAX: €1,250.85
Vega Sicilia Unico 2009 (3x75cl) Inc. TAX: €1,060.05
2009	Vega Sicilia Unico 2009 (3x75cl) Wine Advocate (98) I tasted a bottle of the 2009 Único blind and was taken by the freshness, the red fruit notes and the Burgundian-like characteristics of this vintage, which on paper was quite warm and dry. I also tasted the 2009 Valbuena, which is always more approachable, and was blown away by its aromatics. With time in the glass the Único opened up and got closer to the character of Valbuena but with more depth and clout, while showing extremely elegant. I tasted it again in the context of all the wines from the group, and it delivered all that I saw when I tasted it blind. It takes some time to unfurl its aromatic palette, and it feels young and somewhat undeveloped, younger than it is. It has a touch that made me think of the old vintages of Único on the nose but with very polished tannins and a soft mouthfeel that provides elegance. This is a wine that ages for no less than ten years before it's released. 2009 seems like a great vintage for Vega Sicilia, much better than what I anticipated. It should develop nicely in bottle. 74,274 bottles, 3,390 magnums, 209 double magnums and 22 imperials were produced. It has been in bottle since June 2015. In Stock in Cru LCB	Castilla y Leon	3x75cl	1	98 (WA) Read Review/Description	Inc. TAX: €1,060.05
Vega Sicilia Unico 2010 (3x75cl) Inc. TAX: €955.66
2010	Vega Sicilia Unico 2010 (3x75cl) Tim Atkin MW (100) Vega Sicilia Único Reserva 2010 (14%) Perfection is as rare in wine as it is in most things in life, but this is a stunning Único, reflecting the quality of one of the greatest vintages of the last century. Blended with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, as it was in 2009, it's still a very youthful wine right now, with closeknit tannins, thrilling acidity, layers of spices, fresh earth, tobacco, red and black fruits, some oak sweetness and a wonderfully refreshing, leafy undertone. Simply stunning. Delivery to Storage from 2 Oct 2021	Castilla y Leon	3x75cl	2	100 (TA) Read Review/Description	Inc. TAX: €955.66
Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial Release 2019 (3x75cl) Inc. TAX: €1,181.25
2019	Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial Release 2019 (3x75cl) James Suckling (99) Vintages blended seamlessly together. Unique to Vega Sicilia. The tobacco, spice and earthy depth here is terrific. Very complex iodine and almost oyster shell minerals. An array of red and black cherries and plums. Very complex. Very fresh. A blend of 2006, 2007 and 2009. Try in 2022. Delivery to Storage from 1 Sep 2021	Castilla y Leon	3x75cl	1	99 (JS) Read Review/Description	Inc. TAX: €1,181.25
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2004 (3x75cl) Inc. TAX: €906.45
2004	Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2004 (3x75cl) Wine Advocate (94) The saturated purple 2004 Valbuena offers up an expressive perfume of mineral, scorched earth, espresso, incense, and black cherry. This is followed by a medium to full-bodied, intensely flavored, spicy wine with layers of fruit, soft tannins, and a pure, lengthy finish. It will benefit from another 5-7 years of bottle age and offer optimal drinking from 2015 to 2029. In Stock in Cru LCB	Castilla y Leon	3x75cl	1	94 (WA) Read Review/Description	Inc. TAX: €906.45
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2013 (3x75cl) Inc. TAX: €364.05
2013	Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2013 (3x75cl) Wine Advocate (94) This wine was re-tasted prior to this report with similar descriptors to my previous tasting for a report I published earlier this year and the score was the same. Cropped from an unusually cold and rainy vintage in which they will not bottle Único, the 2013 Valbuena is always released in its fifth year. It's mostly Tempranillo with 5% Merlot that was put through a three- to four-day cold soak in the oak vats, where it fermented with indigenous yeasts and was pumped over. It matured in new and used 225-liter French and American oak barriques and also in 20,000-liter oak vats, where the larger vessels respect the fruit, especially in a more fragile vintage like 2013. It's a very elegant and fresh Valbuena with a developed nose, quite classical with a fine texture, elegant tannins and a supple, long finish where the oak is still quite obvious. I liked it very much and consider it a triumph over the challenges of the year. 150,650 bottles and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in June 2015. In Stock in Cru LCB	Castilla y Leon	3x75cl	1	94 (WA) Read Review/Description	Inc. TAX: €364.05
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2013 (6x75cl) Inc. TAX: €992.10
2013	Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2013 (6x75cl) Wine Advocate (94) This wine was re-tasted prior to this report with similar descriptors to my previous tasting for a report I published earlier this year and the score was the same. Cropped from an unusually cold and rainy vintage in which they will not bottle Único, the 2013 Valbuena is always released in its fifth year. It's mostly Tempranillo with 5% Merlot that was put through a three- to four-day cold soak in the oak vats, where it fermented with indigenous yeasts and was pumped over. It matured in new and used 225-liter French and American oak barriques and also in 20,000-liter oak vats, where the larger vessels respect the fruit, especially in a more fragile vintage like 2013. It's a very elegant and fresh Valbuena with a developed nose, quite classical with a fine texture, elegant tannins and a supple, long finish where the oak is still quite obvious. I liked it very much and consider it a triumph over the challenges of the year. 150,650 bottles and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in June 2015. In Stock in Cru LCB	Castilla y Leon	6x75cl	2	94 (WA) Read Review/Description	Inc. TAX: €992.10

Year	Wine	Region	Format	Qty	Score	Price
Vega Sicilia Unico 2006 (3x75cl) In Bond: €1,035.00
2006	Vega Sicilia Unico 2006 (3x75cl) James Suckling (100) Incredibly floral and beautiful with dark berry, spice, cedar and mint. Chinese plums. Asian spices. Bark. Tea. Full body, dense and so soft and complex. The finish goes on for minutes. Endless and fine. January 2017 release. This reminds me of the gorgeous 1991 or 1964. Drink forever. A wine that you want to spend time with. In Stock in Cru LCB	Castilla y Leon	3x75cl	2	100 (JS) Read Review/Description	In Bond: €1,035.00
Vega Sicilia Unico 2009 (3x75cl) In Bond: €876.00
2009	Vega Sicilia Unico 2009 (3x75cl) Wine Advocate (98) I tasted a bottle of the 2009 Único blind and was taken by the freshness, the red fruit notes and the Burgundian-like characteristics of this vintage, which on paper was quite warm and dry. I also tasted the 2009 Valbuena, which is always more approachable, and was blown away by its aromatics. With time in the glass the Único opened up and got closer to the character of Valbuena but with more depth and clout, while showing extremely elegant. I tasted it again in the context of all the wines from the group, and it delivered all that I saw when I tasted it blind. It takes some time to unfurl its aromatic palette, and it feels young and somewhat undeveloped, younger than it is. It has a touch that made me think of the old vintages of Único on the nose but with very polished tannins and a soft mouthfeel that provides elegance. This is a wine that ages for no less than ten years before it's released. 2009 seems like a great vintage for Vega Sicilia, much better than what I anticipated. It should develop nicely in bottle. 74,274 bottles, 3,390 magnums, 209 double magnums and 22 imperials were produced. It has been in bottle since June 2015. In Stock in Cru LCB	Castilla y Leon	3x75cl	1	98 (WA) Read Review/Description	In Bond: €876.00
Vega Sicilia Unico 2010 (3x75cl) In Bond: €789.00
2010	Vega Sicilia Unico 2010 (3x75cl) Tim Atkin MW (100) Vega Sicilia Único Reserva 2010 (14%) Perfection is as rare in wine as it is in most things in life, but this is a stunning Único, reflecting the quality of one of the greatest vintages of the last century. Blended with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, as it was in 2009, it's still a very youthful wine right now, with closeknit tannins, thrilling acidity, layers of spices, fresh earth, tobacco, red and black fruits, some oak sweetness and a wonderfully refreshing, leafy undertone. Simply stunning. Delivery to Storage from 2 Oct 2021	Castilla y Leon	3x75cl	2	100 (TA) Read Review/Description	In Bond: €789.00
Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial Release 2019 (3x75cl) In Bond: €977.00
2019	Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial Release 2019 (3x75cl) James Suckling (99) Vintages blended seamlessly together. Unique to Vega Sicilia. The tobacco, spice and earthy depth here is terrific. Very complex iodine and almost oyster shell minerals. An array of red and black cherries and plums. Very complex. Very fresh. A blend of 2006, 2007 and 2009. Try in 2022. Delivery to Storage from 1 Sep 2021	Castilla y Leon	3x75cl	1	99 (JS) Read Review/Description	In Bond: €977.00
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2004 (3x75cl) In Bond: €748.00
2004	Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2004 (3x75cl) Wine Advocate (94) The saturated purple 2004 Valbuena offers up an expressive perfume of mineral, scorched earth, espresso, incense, and black cherry. This is followed by a medium to full-bodied, intensely flavored, spicy wine with layers of fruit, soft tannins, and a pure, lengthy finish. It will benefit from another 5-7 years of bottle age and offer optimal drinking from 2015 to 2029. In Stock in Cru LCB	Castilla y Leon	3x75cl	1	94 (WA) Read Review/Description	In Bond: €748.00
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2013 (3x75cl) In Bond: €296.00
2013	Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2013 (3x75cl) Wine Advocate (94) This wine was re-tasted prior to this report with similar descriptors to my previous tasting for a report I published earlier this year and the score was the same. Cropped from an unusually cold and rainy vintage in which they will not bottle Único, the 2013 Valbuena is always released in its fifth year. It's mostly Tempranillo with 5% Merlot that was put through a three- to four-day cold soak in the oak vats, where it fermented with indigenous yeasts and was pumped over. It matured in new and used 225-liter French and American oak barriques and also in 20,000-liter oak vats, where the larger vessels respect the fruit, especially in a more fragile vintage like 2013. It's a very elegant and fresh Valbuena with a developed nose, quite classical with a fine texture, elegant tannins and a supple, long finish where the oak is still quite obvious. I liked it very much and consider it a triumph over the challenges of the year. 150,650 bottles and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in June 2015. In Stock in Cru LCB	Castilla y Leon	3x75cl	1	94 (WA) Read Review/Description	In Bond: €296.00
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2013 (6x75cl) In Bond: €812.00
2013	Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2013 (6x75cl) Wine Advocate (94) This wine was re-tasted prior to this report with similar descriptors to my previous tasting for a report I published earlier this year and the score was the same. Cropped from an unusually cold and rainy vintage in which they will not bottle Único, the 2013 Valbuena is always released in its fifth year. It's mostly Tempranillo with 5% Merlot that was put through a three- to four-day cold soak in the oak vats, where it fermented with indigenous yeasts and was pumped over. It matured in new and used 225-liter French and American oak barriques and also in 20,000-liter oak vats, where the larger vessels respect the fruit, especially in a more fragile vintage like 2013. It's a very elegant and fresh Valbuena with a developed nose, quite classical with a fine texture, elegant tannins and a supple, long finish where the oak is still quite obvious. I liked it very much and consider it a triumph over the challenges of the year. 150,650 bottles and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in June 2015. In Stock in Cru LCB	Castilla y Leon	6x75cl	2	94 (WA) Read Review/Description	In Bond: €812.00

Vega Sicilia

About Vega Sicilia

Viniculture

James Suckling (100)

Wine Advocate (98)

Tim Atkin MW (100)

James Suckling (99)

Wine Advocate (94)

Wine Advocate (94)

Wine Advocate (94)

James Suckling (100)

Wine Advocate (98)

Tim Atkin MW (100)

James Suckling (99)

Wine Advocate (94)

Wine Advocate (94)

Wine Advocate (94)