Description
210 of the almost 1,000 hectares on the Vega Sicilia estate are used for vine growing, which include 19 different types of soil and 64 plots with very specific characteristics. The influence of the course of the Douro river
and time itself have played a key role in the notable use of these soils. The rainy end to the harvest left its imprint on the wine from this vintage. 2013 was a year to spend time in the vineyard, tend to it with care, and not
rest on one’s laurels during harvest. The result was more elegant, subtle, and complex profile. For the first phase of the ageing process, we used 225-litre French and American oak barrels 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.
Producer Information: Bodegas Vega Sicilia
VEGA SICILIA IS WITHOUT DOUBT SPAINS MOST FAMOUS AND MOST SOUGHT AFTER RED WINE. IT IS EQUIVALENT TO A FRENCH FIRST GROWTH MAKING CONCENTRATED AND LONG LIVED WINES ON THE LARGE THOUSAND HECTARE ESTATE IN THE RIBERA DEL DUERO WINE REGION SOME TWO HOURS DRIVE NORTH OF MADRID. THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE OWNERS OF THIS ICON OF SPANISH WINE MAKING, SINCE THE FIRST OWNER BACK IN 1864. THE CURRENT OWNERS , THE ALVAREZ FAMILY, BOUGHT THE ESTATE IN 1982. I VISITED THE WINERY IN 2000 AND WAS SURPRISED AT HOW LARGE IT WAS AND HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO OBTAIN MORE THAN A FEW CASES OF WINE A YEAR FROM THIS IMMACULATE PROPERTY. THERE ARE THREE WINES PRODUCED. FIRSTLY VALBUENO 5 ANO ( SO NAMED BECAUSE IT IS PUT ON SALE FIVE YEARS AFTER THE HARVEST). MADE FROM VINES AVERAGING 25 YEARS OLD IT IS MADE FROM MOSTLY TEMPRANILLO, WITH MERLOT AND CABERNET. THEN THERE IS THE FAMOUS UNICO MADE ONLY IN GREAT YEARS, OFTEN FROM VINES THAT ARE VERY LOW YIELDING AT SOME 20HL/ HA AND WITH AN AVERAGE OF 45 YEARS. THE UNICO IS MADE FROM TEMPRANILLO, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, MERLOT AND MALBEC. A TINY AMOUNT OF WHITE ALBILLO IS ALSO ADDED . VERY RARELY, A MULTI-VINTAGE RESERVA ESPECIAL IS PRODUCED. AGEING IS COMPLEX WITH AS FAR AS I COULD ATTAIN NO SET PATTERN, BUT INVOLVES A COMBINATION OF MAINLY NEW AMERICAN BARIQUES, WOODEN TANKS, OLD BARRELS AND TIME IN BOTTLE.
![Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial [2020] Ribera del Duero](https://www.handford.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/28413-200x267.jpg)
