Vega Sicilia latest releases

Vega-Sicilia is Spain’s most prestigious wine estate and needs little introduction. Their flagship, Unico, is rightly known as Spain's “first growth”. They also produce world class wines Valbuena and Alion from Ribera del Duero and Pintia from Toro. Bold, earthy, primal but poised and balanced, their wines have consistently wowed wine lovers over the years.

Vega Sicila’s Story

The estate was founded in 1864 by Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves who planted the first Bordeaux grapes alongside Tempranillo on the land. 50 years later, under the ownership of Antonio Herrero, the wines won several awards on the international scene, giving the winery its first taste of fame.

Following various ownership, the property was finally acquired by the Alvarez family in 1982 who gave birth to the iconic Unico. Not only the Alvarez gave Vega Sicilia its prestige, they also put Ribera del Duero on the international map. Alongside Unico, they produce an ever-expanding range of wines from Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Toro and Tokaj, in Hungary, that share another great thing... their quality.

Vineyards & Winemaking

They own 1,000 hectares of land in Ribera del Duero with 210 ha dedicated to grow Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvigon and Merlot. The estate is divided in 52 plots, based on the varietal, soil and age of the vines (some being over 100 years old). 140 ha are used to make both Valbuena and Único, and the rest is for Alión. Yields are kept low, and a meticulous soil management and clone selection takes place in order to create unique wines.

Due to the superb quality of the grapes they produce, they can age their wines in oak for longer than most producers (up to 6 years) using both French and American barrels with a variety of age and size to add complexity.

The Growing Season

This year’s offer focuses on two outstanding, contrasting vintages. The 2019 harvest was small and concentrated, achieving great richness alongside a tantalising combination of fully ripe tannin and low pH for freshness. Despite the small crop, grapes ripened slowly, providing ample time for them to accumulate flavour and avoiding the need for much extraction. The resulting wines have a silky, effortless quality.

The crop in 2020 was rather larger, and despite some summer heatwaves was saved from overripeness by welcome September rains. Winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga said the overall balance and finesse resemble 2011, while the polished tannins recall 2016, his first vintage at Vega Sicilia. He did not therefore vinify the 2014 Unico, but was responsible for the majority of its barrel ageing. This is an Unico with an electric personality, taut, powerful and laser-focused; its quality is already evident but great cellaring potential is guaranteed.

Vega Sicilia’s Latest Releases

Unico 2014

Vega Sicilia’s flagship is a blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on soils rich in quartz, gravel and limestone. Fermented with native yeasts in wooden tanks, the wine is aged for about six years in French and American oak barrels of various size and age, and a further 4 years in bottle before release. Elegant, silky, powerful and age-worthy, Único has an inimitable style, a unique and timeless taste that has elevated it amongst the world’s most sought-after wines. Secure your allocation now.

Due to the abundant yield in 2014, there was a need for more rigorous green pruning and crop thinning. However, in a year like this, when the weather was favourable, the outcome was generous in both quantity and quality. For the first phase of the ageing process, 225-litre French and American oak barrels were used to build structure in the wine; the second phase took place in 22,000-litre wooden vats. During this long, complex process, the wine gains endless nuance, definition, texture and depth. The incredible terroir and unique maturation process create wines of effortless ageing potential.

Powerful aromas of fine oak. Arrives crisp, fresh and smooth, swelling to redcurrant and red cherry. Very youthful still, full-bodied and round, but always remaining crisp and fresh. Tannins are firm but well-balanced. Promising a long life ahead but remarkably approachable now. 2014 followed a mild winter with a warmer spring and summer. Yield 25.2hl/ha. One of the first years with the influence of new technical director Gonzalo Iturriaga. One year in new barrels, six months in used barrels, then three and a half years in large-format tanks. Bottled May 2020. Tasted from magnum. – 97 points Decanter

The 2014 Único was produced with grapes from 40 hectares of vines selected from the 210 hectares the winery has. The grapes were picked between September 20th and October 3rd, and the blend was 94% Tinto Fino and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, with malolactic in stainless steel. The first part of the aging was in 225-liter barrels and the second one in 20,000-liter oak vats, and the élevage lasts 10 years between oak and bottle. It's a year that combines power and elegance; it's concentrated but has subtleness. I had a unique opportunity to taste it from magnum one year ago and was truly impressed. This tasting was consistent with those sensations. 2014 was a good vintage in the zone, a year with good rain and a big crop, not as powerful as 2012 or 2015 but a year with finesse. The wine feels very balanced, lower in alcohol and with integrated oak, crunchy, fresh and still young. It feels quite classical; it's fine-boned, elegant but also powerful, more like the Únicos from yesteryear. It has to be one of the finest vintages of recent times. It has 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.85 and five grams of acidity measured in tartaric acid per liter of wine. One of the largest vintages of Único, 104,606 bottles, 3,612 magnums, 356 double magnums, 50 imperials and five Salmanazars were produced. It was bottled in June 2020. It seems like years ending in four - 94, 2004, 2014 (but not 84, that was not produced) - are very good here. - 98 points Robert Parker

Valbuena 5º 2019

Valbuena, is the purest expression of Tempranillo in Vega Sicilia and is sourced from gentle concave slopes made of calcareous soils. Blend with a small portion of Merlot, depending on the vintage, the grapes are fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks and aged for five years between wood and bottle. The wines are juicy and voluptuous and shows great harmony between elegance, complexity and concentration. Secure your allocation now.

The 2019 vintage stood out for being drier than previous years. This was especially noticeable during the grape tasting in early September. The fruit was healthy and well ripened due to September rains. The main goal was maintaining freshness without overripening. Extraction was gentle and part of the wine was matured in oak vats during the first year of ageing. For this vintage, the presence of American oak was reduced in favour of French oak, with a preference for light toast. The wine was transferred to vats for the second year of maturation to build complexity and texture.

Extremely perfumed with violets and a bouquet of flowers. Then there’s blue fruits such as blueberries and raspberries. Medium-bodied with beautifully crafted tannins that give a superb mouthfeel and finesse. Refinement with depth and focus. So wonderful to drink now but it will be even better in four or five years. Try in 2027 – 97 points James Suckling

The obsession in 2019 was to avoid excess ripeness and to keep the freshness, so they did a softer vinification, used larger vats for the élevage and used less American wood. The 2019 Valbuena was produced with a blend of Tinto Fino with 3% Merlot. It has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.88 and 4.6 grams of acidity. I love the nose; it is perfumed and subtle. And the wine is beautifully textured; the tannins are very fine, silky even, quite different from the tannins from the other 2019s from the group that I tasted next to this, Macán and Pintia. A triumph over the conditions of the year, it's a more elegant Valbuena than I anticipated. 190,490 bottles, 5,581 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in June 2022. – 95 points Robert Parker

Alion 2020

Sourced from a careful selection of plots across the appellation, and keeping with the vine management criteria that emanate from Vega Sicilia, Alion represents Ribera del Duero’s authentic expression of Tempranillo. Fermented in wooden tanks and aged between 12 and 14 months in new French oak barrels, the wine spend an additional 15 months in bottle before release. The result is an intense, complex and fleshy wine, where the elegance is a distinguishing feature and hallmark of the winery. Secure your allocation now.

2020 was a drier vintage than normal, the grapes were very healthy but heavy rains in September diluted the fruit so it was necessary to wait for the grapes to re-concentrate before harvesting. The resulting wines were more vertical, balanced and fresh. The proportion of American oak used was increased 4% this vintage. Concrete was used in a proportion of this vintage to improve the verticality and freshness of the wines.

There’s a finesse and polish to this red with blackberries, black olives, iron and terra-cotta. Medium to full body, with slightly chewy tannins and a savory finish. It will soften nicely with time. Try after 2025. – 94 points James Suckling

The obsession in 2019 was to avoid excess ripeness and to keep the freshness, so they did a softer vinification, used larger vats for the élevage and used less American wood. The 2019 Valbuena was produced with a blend of Tinto Fino with 3% Merlot. It has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.88 and 4.6 grams of acidity. I love the nose; it is perfumed and subtle. And the wine is beautifully textured; the tannins are very fine, silky even, quite different from the tannins from the other 2019s from the group that I tasted next to this, Macán and Pintia. A triumph over the conditions of the year, it's a more elegant Valbuena than I anticipated. 190,490 bottles, 5,581 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in June 2022. – 95 points Robert Parker

Pintia 2019

Pintia is sourced from the banks of the River Duero, within the Toro DO. The extremely cold winters and hot summers influence its complex soils, which are characterised by pebbles. Aged in French and American oak barrels for 12 months, the wine is deep with great intensity of fruit and offers a good tannic structure and a very friendly, fresh and persistent palate. Secure your allocation now.

The 2019 vintage was hot and dry, with rain before harvest helping to tame the powerful skins. 15% of the wine aged in large containers to preserve its fruitiness. It was a vintage of great concentration, so the influence of toasted oak was limited in favour of freshness.

Ripe blackberries, tar, dark cherries and dark spices. Fine cocoa powder, too. Rich and full-bodied on the palate with a saline smack to the middle. Very long and powerful but expressive and refined. A little richer and more powerful than 2018, but elegant and poised at the same time. Vertical, fine-grained tannins. Drink from 2026. – 95 points James Suckling

The wine released in 2024 is the 2019 Pintia, from a very dry year when they did a softer vinification and used some 15% stainless steel for the élevage to keep the fruit and freshness. It fermented in stainless steel and oak vats with indigenous yeasts. It's a powerful year; the wine has 15% alcohol and is round and full-bodied. It's a heady and ripe Pintia. They had to be careful with the harvest date, and they harvested early and quite quickly. Even though the wine is ripe and heady, with notes of grenadine and small ripe berries, it's also exotic and spicy, quite showy, lush and full-bodied, with 2019 tannins. It's a more powerful wine that is going to require patience. They produced 224,724 bottles, 6,587 magnums and some smaller and larger sizes. It was bottled in May 2021. - 94 points Robert Parker