Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5, Ribera del Duero Red 2020
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96
Decanter
Produced with a selection form the more ethereal parcels that don’t deliver the power sought for Unico, Valbuena 5º is however much more than a younger sibling of the iconic wine. The 2020 vintage, a child of a challenging growing season, both due to natural and operational challenges (remember Covid?…), it is a great achievement of nuanced power and detailed complexity, with a luscious fruit core lined with oregano, dried sage and thyme. Dark chocolate and roasted coffee beans build a broody background layer while Assam and Oolong tea leaves add umami depth. Beautiful detail and depth to the tannins.
Valbuena 5 used to be the baby Unico, and nowadays it is more like its younger brother with a lot of resemblance and just a bit less depth and tannins. Valbuena 5 comes from younger vines and sometimes different parcels from Unico. On the palate, this is more open and linear, while Unico is more profound and vertical. Notes of iron, blackberries, cedar, minerals and cocoa powder. Medium- to full-bodied with melted tannins and a long, long finish. Drinkable from 2025, but will hold for years.
The 2020 Valbuena 5º is Tinta del País from Ribera del Duero. Balsamic and herbal aromas mingle with forest, red fruit, cherry, violet and a hint of apple peel on the nose. The palate is intense, with a velvety texture, moderate concentration and enveloping flow. Chalky tannins and a touch of creaminess define the structure. Ample and richly flavored, with subtle oak in the background. A fine example of elegant Ribera.
The 2020 Valbuena is from a year marked by COVID-19 and lots of rain before the harvest, which resulted in a more ethereal wine, with 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.9 and 4.45 grams of acidity. It was produced with 97% Tinto Fino and 3% Merlot, cooled down for 24 hours and then fermented with indigenous yeasts from a pied de cuve in stainless steel. It matured in barrel and oak vats during the first year, and in the second one, it aged exclusively in oak vats of different sizes, 8,500 and 21,000 liters. In 2020, the wine is finer-boned, more fluid and only medium-bodied, perhaps because of the dilution from the rain; the tannins are fine-grained and polished, but there’s less juiciness in the wine. It calls for food. With time in the glass, the wine opens up and becomes more aromatic, and it even seems to gain juiciness and change texture. This is a production of 186,286 bottles, 5,673 magnums and some larger formats. It was bottled in May 2023.
Vibrant purple and red fruits, accented by alluring notes of dark earth. Mineral, but also plush, offering a relatively easy sipping experience. The most exciting aspect of the wine was its bouquet, which continued to grow after each swirl.
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Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5, Ribera del Duero Red 2021
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98
James Suckling
One of the finest Valbuenas available, showcasing great depth, structure and detail while remaining polished. It exhibits notes of blackberries, cocoa powder, graphite, and high-quality sandalwood, with hints of lard and violets. The standout feature this year is the quantity and quality of the tannins—huge, yet incredibly refined and polished. There are plenty of fine grits that aren’t fully integrated but should harmonize in two to three years. Exceptionally long finish. Will hold effortlessly for the next 20 years. 176,000 bottles produced.
The 2021 Valbuena Nº5 is Tinta del País with 4% Merlot. Fine oak frames aromas of ripe plum, blueberry, delicate wood tones and a touch of chocolate. The palate is juicy, with moderate structure and lightly grippy tannins; it gains dimension through the mid-palate, where precision, depth and refinement gradually unfold. More than power, this vintage leans into elegance. A beautifully judged Valbuena.
The 2021 Valbuena comes from a year with pristine grapes, good ripeness and balance. For them, this is one of their finest years, when they didn’t have to rush and everything happened in a smooth way. The year was marked by the snowstorm Filomena in January, which provided good water reserves, and the rest of the winter had temperatures reaching minus 15 degrees Celsius! This is a blend of 96% Tinto Fino (a local clone of Tempranillo) and 4% Merlot aged in barrels and 8,500- and 21,000-liter oak vats during the first year and later on only in oak vats. This is the youngest expression of the “Vega” nose—subtler and elegant, more insinuating, less developed and keeping some primary notes; it’s not as tertiary as the Únicos. It comes in at 14% alcohol, with a pH of 3.85 and 4.65 grams of acidity, and it has a medium- to full-bodied palate, with elegant tannins and very good balance. This is one of the finest recent vintages for Valbuena, and in a way, it reminded me of the 2010, with elegance and precision. A total of 176,876 bottles, 5,566 magnums and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in May 2024.
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