Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5° 2020 75cl

Valbuena 5° is the purest expression of red wine at Vega Sicilia. It is aged between barrel and bottle over five years, giving rise

to the wine’s name: Valbuena 5°. Valbuena 5°undergoes a meticulous ageing process: 12 months in barrel, 12 months in vat, six months in stainless steel, and 18 months in bottle. This vintage required close monitoring due to heavy pre-harvest rainfall, resulting in a wine that balances elegance with richness.

The Vintage

Two extraordinary events made 2020 an unprecedented vintage. First, Covid-19 required the winemaking team to adapt to new circumstances and implement unprecedented protective measures. Secondly, heavy rainfall just before harvest demanded close monitoring and adjustments to protect the quality and concentration of the grapes. The 2020 growing season started with warmer-than-average temperatures, ensuring strong lignification. Spring brought average temperatures and rainfall, fostering successful budding in late April without frost concerns. June was cooler than normal, while July’s warmth accelerated veraison by a week. The harvest, conducted manually from September 21st to October 5th, was briefly interrupted by rain.

Vega Sicilia is a legend among Spanish wine producers, established in 1864 at the western end of what is now the Ribera del Duero DO. The flagship, Unico, is Spain’s undisputed equivalent of a first growth, while the more approachable Valbuena 5º is just as sought after. The historic estate went through several changes of ownership before being bought by the Álvarez family in 1982. Meticulously detailed viticulture feeds into a complex, multi-stage ageing process that gives these wines a vibrancy and integration quite unlike any of their Ribera del Duero peers.