- From the most prestigious winery in Spain
- Exceptional quality and rarity
- Medium to full-bodied
- Intense flavor with layers of fruit and soft tannins
94 Points - "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. One of the perquisites of reviewing Spanish wine is the opportunity to taste the wines of Vega Sicilia once a year." -The Wine Advocate, 2009.
COMPOSITION: 90% Tinto Fino and 10% Merlot and Malbec
TASTING NOTES:
94 Points - "Deep red. Exotic, highly perfumed aromas of raspberry, tobacco, potpourri and cedar, with a strong mineral overtone. Sweet cherry and red berry flavors are decadently sweet and complicated by notes of candied rose and licorice, with a mounting tobacco quality. Gains energy with air and finishes with sexy notes of floral pastilles and raspberry liqueur. Extremely sexy right now but I've no doubt that this will age for a very long time." -Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, September/October 2009.
PRODUCER'S NOTES:
"To lovers of fine wines, Vega Sicilia needs little introduction. This is by far the most prestigious wine estate in Spain, with an almost mythical reputation for quality and rarity. The property is located 100 miles north of Madrid in the shallow Duero (Douro) river valley on the high remote plateau of Castilla y Léon. The altitude is over 700 metres creating a special climate; the cold nights and hot days during the crucial ripening period in September largely contribute to the uniqueness of Vega Sicilia.
In a good vintage only about 20,000 cases of wine are made and subsequently sold on a strict allocation basis. Demand in Spain alone well exceeds the total quantity available. The grape varieties famously include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec, first brought to the estate from Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé vineyards in 1864.
The other unique particularity of Vega Sicilia is the long maturation in cask and bottle before release. The Valbuena is only released after 5 years...3 years in cask and 2 years in bottle. The Unico is always at least 10 years old and sometimes as much as 25 years old before release, depending on the quality of the vintage and its capacity to age. The wines are truly remarkable with enormous complexity, intensity and richness. The soft velvety texture, gorgeous mature flavors of black fruit, leather and oak are absolutely unique."
