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Vega Sicilia

What words can be conjured up to describe the wines of Vega Sicilia? These are truly special wines. But this is no modern, points-grabbing winery. Spain's first growth has history, a sense of place and, says winemaker Xavier Ausas (right), a willingness to adhere to time-honoured traditions.

The foundations of these traditions may be found as far back as 1859, when Don Eloy Lecanda Chaves was gifted an estate by his wealthy father. Included were two adjacent plots of land, one of which was the Vega Sicilia estate. The origins of the Vega Sicilia winery are officially regarded as 1864, which was when Don Eloy Lecanda Chaves returned from his travels in Bordeaux with vine cuttings, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Carmenere - all of which were found in Bordeaux at that time - and, curiously, some Pinot Noir. Who on earth had this grape of Burgundy for sale in Bordeaux? The answer is not known. Regardless, the cuttings were duly propagated and planted at Vega Sicilia, although the Carmenere and Pinot Noir are no longer found in the Vega Sicilia vineyards.

Things did not initially go well, however, and the estate did not develop the reputation it enjoys today. By 1903 full ownership was obtained by Antonio Herrero, who, together with winery manager Domingo Garramiola, brought Vega Sicilia to the fore, winning a number of awards, and enjoying an international distribution. Time marched on, however, and the estate changed hands several more times before it's acquisition by the current owners, the Alvarez family, in 1982.

Like all great wines, Vega Sicilia begins in the vineyard. The Tempranillo is trained in gobelet fashion, whereas the French varieties are trained in a Guyot system (see my account of vine training). Green harvesting is employed ruthlessly in order to control yields, and the harvest itself is meticulous (see notes on individual wines below for more information on the incredibly low yields, harvest dates and other practices). In the winery, such a massive wine will withstand many years in wood and Unico sees a complicated series of rackings from huge barrels to new oak, to used American oak, back to new oak again, and on it goes. Winemaker Xavier Ausas refers to these stages somewhat romantically as "muscularisation", "education", "recuperation" and so on. Whatever these phases are called, Unico certainly receives very prolonged barrel ageing, with the 1970 seeing over sixteen years! And yet these are not washed out, stretched, overly oaky wines when mature, testimony to the quality of the raw materials on which they are based.

The Vega Sicilia range has been rationalised from four to three four cuvées. Leading the pack are the Unico ("unique"), which is always of gran reserva quality, and a fascinating non-vintage blend named Reserva Especial. In addition there is a second wine, Valbuena 5°. This is always of reserva quality, the 5° designates that the cuvée has been aged for five years before release. The Valbuena 3° - aged for three years before release - was phased out in 1988 in order to reduce confusion. Although there is great respect for tradition at Vega Sicilia, there is also innovation. Most notably, the purchase of the nearby Alion estate so that Vega Sicilia could also produce a high quality wine for drinking young, without detracting from the fruit supply for Unico. Hopefully Vega Sicilia will continue with this combination of tradition and innovation - if the wines tasted here, encountered in a tutored tasting led by Jasper Morris MW with Vega Sicilia's winemaker Xavier Ausas and export manager Rafael Alonso are any guide, it's one that works. (23/12/03)

Contact details:
Address: Carretera N122, Km 323, 47359 Valbuena de Duero
Telephone: +34 983 680 147
Fax: +34 983 680 263
Internet: www.vega-sicilia.com

Vega Sicilia - Tasting Notes

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Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5° 2000: Tempranillo 85%, Merlot & Malbec 15%. A difficult vintage, with an extensive green harvest and as a result amazingly low yields - 6 hl/ha!. Bottled July 2003, due for release 2005. A dense, brooding colour in the glass. The nose is very primary, dominated by the blackberry fruit of the Tempranillo, with a dense, smoky character. A buttery, fruit crumble character belies the young oak that has yet to integrate. Pure, ripe fruit on the palate, with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel. Very good structure with ripe tannins. A hint of elegance - good balance. Very together wine. Needs five years at least. 17+/20 (November 2003)

Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5° 1999: Tempranillo 80%, Merlot & Malbec 20%. Another difficult vintage. Harvest commenced on 10th October and proceeded until it was halted by rain on the 14th. The grape pickers continued to pass through the vineyard, picking off rotten grapes and leaf thinning until they could recommence harvest twelve days later. The harvest was not completed until 16th November! Due for release 2004. Less colour here than the 1998 or the 2000. The nose shows mineral-edged fruit, with a toffee edge belying unintegrated oak again. Lovely palate though - full of rich, powerful, pure black fruits, plenty of tannin, but a fine, silky mouthfeel. Good acidity. Oak still evident here. Rich finish. Maybe needs three to four years. 17.5+/20 (November 2003)

Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5° 1998: Tempranillo 85%, Merlot & Malbec 15%. 15% of stems were included. Apparently another difficult vintage - I'm beginning to wonder if Xavier Ausas doesn't find every vintage difficult! Much wine was sold off for distillation. A beautiful, dark, glossy colour. Dense fruit, blackberry, with a sweet buttery pastry/crumble character - plenty of oak here still. A firm palate, not as open or exuberant as the nose might suggest. A wealth of dark fruits though, a rich fleshy texture, but with firm acidity and a good tannic structure. Needs four to five years I think. 17.5+/20 (November 2003)

Vega Sicilia Unico 1991: Tempranillo 85%, Cabernet Sauvignon 2%, Merlot & Malbec 13%. Due for release in 2004. This wine has a very youthful colour. Beautiful perfume on the nose, with a changing array of aromas. First aniseed, then notes of leather, then cloves, before opening out into a rich, treacle toffee character. This has complexity. Textured, smooth and silky on the palate. There is elegance here. Still a trace of oak presenting a toffee edge to the fruit, which fans out in an array of flavour on the finish. Wonderful length. This is brilliant - my favourite of this line up. Drink now and over the next ten years. 19.5+/20 (November 2003)

Vega Sicilia Unico 1989: Tempranillo 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%. A dense youthful colour, just fading a little at the rim. Definite familial character on the nose - aniseed and cloves again, but with plenty of dense, sweet, perfumed fruit. It shows more maturity on the palate than the 1991. Mouthfilling, somewhat less silky, but still delightfully textured. Lovely weight, a meaty feel to it. Still some tannin in the finish. Approachable now, maybe better in a year or two. Should drink well for five to eight years plus. 18.5+/20 (November 2003)

Vega Sicilia Unico 1987: Tempranillo 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, Merlot & Malbec 10%. An equally dark, dense colour here, but a more earthy hue. Hints at a different style here - an impressive, powerful nose full of fruit, still with a perfumed elegance, but also a meaty, rare beef aroma. This power comes through on the palate, with a creamy mouthfeel, but with fresh acidity too. This is brilliant stuff. My next favourite after the 1991. Ready now, and should drink well for a decade or more. 19+/20 (November 2003)

Vega Sicilia Unico 1964: Tempranillo 65%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%, Merlot, Malbec, Albillo 20%. This has a moderate depth of colour, with quite a tawny hue. Some volatile acidity on the nose, obviously very mature, with some sweet aromatics. A mature palate. Still has firm acidity, with a rounded, almost velvety mouthfeel - by no means has this dried out. Leathery notes. Wonderful persistence on the finish. 18+/20 (November 2003)

Vega Sicilia Unico 1953: Tempranillo 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%, Merlot, Malbec, Albillo 5% (approximate). This is a slightly deeper colour, with a burnt, tawny hue. There are roasted, sweet fruits on the nose, as well as notes of roast lamb, and toffee and coffee aromas. More obvious volatile acidity than the 1964. Big and rich on entry. Full of an impressive quantity of sweet, mature fruit, with plenty of creamy, velvety texture, power and weight. Another wine that has lasted extremely well, with not a hint of drying out. A wonderful, rich and creamy finish, with an amazing length. 18.5+/20 (November 2003)

Vega Sicilia Unico 1942: Tempranillo 75%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%, Merlot, Malbec, Albillo 10%. A fine, tawny hue. Rich nose, full of coffee and toffee aromas. Volatile acidity again obvious here. Rich, balanced and mature, with a velvety texture. Coffee notes on the finish, although it is marred by slightly prominent acidity at this point. But what a length - it goes on and on and on! Rich and powerful rather than elegant or balanced. Showing some signs of losing it I feel - but it has done remarkably well to last this long and I can't mark it down for what are merely the signs of old age. 18+/20 (November 2003)