Profile of Vega Sicilia
Wine Map Ribera del Duero
Profile of Ribera del Duero Wine Region
Vega Sicilia is Ribera del Duero's legendary estate, and its wine, Unico, is the stuff legends are made of, writes
Serena Sutcliffe, Master of Wine, "When I was feeling my way in wine in those far-off days of the Tender Twenties
(my age, not the decade of my youth!), Vega Sicilia was a mythical name, like Chteau Chalon, old Ausone
and ungrafted vine gems such as Noval Nacional and Bollinger Vieilles Vignes. One lusted after them,
longed to taste them - and the odd 'god' would regale one, slightly patronizingly, with tales of their
magical qualities.Then someone opened a bottle of Vega Sicilia Unico at the end of a long lunch and it
was both oxidized and full of volatile acidity - a winning combination that, simultaneously in my studies,
I was being told could not happen. Now, many hundreds of bottles of Unico later, I still see lots of
volatility in bottles of 50 years old and more, and these are not my favourite examples of the genre.
However, Unico from certain vintages of the 1950's, and from the 1960s onwards, has given me some of the
most fascinating drinking experiences of recent years. Of course, the actual taste is complex and
multi-dimensional, but I think it is the slightly unpredictable nature of Unico that adds a frisson every
time a bottle is opened. Vega Sicilia Unico is never 'classic' - it is Dolce e Gabbana rather than
Ferragamo - cutting edge rather than couture. Suddenly one sees that the most venerable of all Spain's
great wines is also the most 'way out'.
There have been five owners of Vega Sicilia since its inception to the present day. In 1864, Don Eloy de
Lecanda intended to emulate Bordeaux on his estate at the Pago de la Vega Santa Cecilia y Carrascal, but
he soon discovered that Ribera del Duero's native grape - Tinto Fino, or Tempranillo - performed to
perfection in its own environment. The area's mixture of schistous base soil covered by a chalky subsoil,
married to the region's altitude (600-700m above sea level) giving cool nights after hot days and a long
ripening season, is all grist to the quality mill. In 1900, the Herrero family took over for half a
century, and then Prodes SA, from 1950-64. The Hans Newmann ownership from 1964-1982 marked a fabulous
period for Vega Sicilia, and a glittering array of riveting wines. By coincidence, the current owners,
the Alvarez family, bought the estate in 1982, the year Ribera del Duero was made a Denominacin de Origen.
Bodegas Vega Sicilia now owns about 1,000ha (hectares) of land, of which 250ha are under vine. Vega
Sicilia Unico and Valbuena 5 Ao (so named because it is put on sale five years after the harvest) are
made from selected grapes of top quality, from vines that are over 10 years old. The average age of
Valbuena vines is around 25 years, and 45 years for Unico."
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Address:
Bodegas Vega Sicilia
Address: Ctra n-122, KM 323, 47359 Valbuena de Duero(Valladolid), Spain
Tel: +34 983 680 147
Fax: +34 983 680 263
Email: vegasicilia@eulen.com
Winery Details
D.O.: Ribera del Duero
Founded: 1864
Winemaker: Mercedes Ausas
Average production: 200,000 liters
Oak Barrels: 65% American, 35% French
Age of Vines: 35 year old vines
Grape Varietals: Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec
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Wine Tour Ribera Del Duero
This wine tour of Spain's famous wine regions of Rioja and Ribera del Duero is perfect for enthusiasts who want to see where the magic of wine begins- in the vines! Vineyard walks, VIP winery visits to top estates, lunches at cozy, historic "Asadores" in wine country, charming accommodation and much more...