Country: Spain > Ribera del Duero

Bodegas Vega Sicilia

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Vega Sicilia, Spain’s “first growth” and most prestigious wine estate, is located in Ribera del Duero. It was founded in 1864 by Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, who arrived from Bordeaux with cuttings of local grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec) and planted them, together with Spain’s signature grape Tinto Fino (aka Tempranillo) in the arid Ribera soils.

The winery begun building its formidable reputation after 1903 under the ownership of Antonio Herrero, winning a number of awards at home and overseas. The estate changed hands several more times before its acquisition by the current owners, the Álvarez family, in 1982.

The estate’s success is founded on its meticulous approach. In the vineyard it applies low yields, aided by green harvesting and painstaking selection at harvest. In the winery, wines are aged in any number of receptacles – using French and American, new and old oak, small barrels or huge vats – to engender further complexity. Despite prolonged barrel ageing, the fruit is never dried out or overly oaky – compelling evidence of the superb quality of its raw materials.

  • Appellation: Ribera del Duero
  • Owner: Pablo Álvarez
  • Winemaker: Gonzalo Iturriaga
  • Varieties Grown: Tempranillo blend
  • Hectares/Age of Vines:
  • Altitude/Soil:
  • Farming Methods: Conventional

Wines

Red Rose White Sparkling Sweet Fortified Spirits Cider