VEGA SICILIA
Undoubtedly
a unique wine with a strong personality, Vega
Sicilia is one of the greatest Spanish classics.
However, before the vineyards were bought by the
Alvarez family in 1982, the estate did not enjoy
the reputation it has gained since.
It was in 1864 when Don Eloy Lecanda Chaves came
back from the Bordeaux region of France with vine
cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec,
Carmenere and Pinot Noir and planted them at Vega
Sicilia, giving birth to a great wine.
Nevertheless, the estate remained quite unstable,
as it changed ownership several times between 1864
and 1982.
Stability came with the Alvarez Family, who
brought not only their care for detail that was
transmitted to the wines but also their rigour in
the manufacture of grapes. The family has also
modernized the wineries and purchased new land.
For example, they recently purchased vineyards in
the north of Rioja, near to San Vicente, part of
the region’s “golden mile”.
The quality of Vega Sicilia derives from the
painstaking techniques used by the estate: for
instance, green harvesting is widely employed to
control yields and the harvest itself is extremely
selective. To preserve their unique character, the
wines spend many years in oak barrels and the
production goes through a complicated series of
racking.
Mainly made from Tempranillo, Vega Sicilia is
defined as one of the most representative wines of
Spain: most vintages have great elegance, finesse,
complexity and age extremely well. The estate
produces two cornerstone wines, both of which are
top quality. Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial
is a non-vintage wine which blends the best years,
whereas Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva is a
vintage wine produced only from the best vintages.
Valbuena 5º, a lower quality wine, is mainly
produced with the same grapes as Vega Sicilia
Unico, yet from different vintages.
Top Vega Sicilia vintages produced:
2000, 1999, 1998, 1995, 1994, 1975, 1968