In continuous operation for 150+ years, Spain's Vega Sicilia has been variously characterized by terms such as "Spanish First Growth," "distinguished history," "venerable," "Spain's most prestigious estate," "Spain's most respected and prestigious winery," and "Ribera del Duero's legendary estate." And it is not without reason that these terms are applied. The estate has leveraged terroir, aging regime, and an unbroken string of legendary winemakers to produce one of the world's most respected and desired wines.
As shown in the timeline below, the Vega Sicilia story begins with the purchase of the estate by Toribo Lecando. Shortly after the purchase, his son Eloy began growing grapes and making wine on the property. Based on one source, it appears that Eloy inherited the property fully in 1859. In 1864 he brought back Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Carmenere cuttings from Bordeaux and planted them alongside the local mainstay Tinto del Pais (now called Tinto Fino). After a short time Eloy realized that the local grapes were out-performing the imports.
When he began planting grapes at the estate, Eloy Lecando's intent was to produce brandy and ratafia. The winemaking era at Vega Sicilia really began when the negociant Cosme Palacio, seeking new sources of wine outside of his phylloxera-ravaged sources, located the estate and brought in the winemaker Domingo Garramiola to oversee the production of wine therein. Garramiola introduced Bordeaux techniques such as aging wine in barriques and extended elevage and began bottling wine on the estate. He was the first of many iconic winemakers (see the timeline) who have entered through the doors of this esteemed estate.
Vega Sicilia is located high up (600 - 700 m) on the plain of Castille in the town of Valbueno de Douro in the Ribera del Duero.
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| Vega Sicilia (red dot) and its vineyards bounded by the Douro to its north |
The Ribera del Duero climate is distinctly continental with bitter winters and hot summers the order of the day. Rainfall, at an annual average of 450mm, is low. There is significant diurnal temperature variation given the high elevation (700 -1000 m) at which the region lies. This day-night temperature differential allows for the attainment of high levels of ripeness (and associated power and concentration) while retaining freshness and acidity in the grapes
Ribera del Duero soil consists of layers of silt, sand, and clay alternating with layers of chalky limestone. According to the Consejo Regulador, most of the soils near the river are a mix of sandy sediment, marl, and alluvial rocks (Campiñas) while vineyards at higher elevations experience a much higher content of chalky limestone and clay (Laderas). The soils above the Laderas (Cuestas) are harder to work while the soils above them (Páramos) are too exposed to be worked.
The Vega Sicilia vineyards are located on the slopes above the valley with limestone and chalk soils at the highest elevations and a denser mix of clay and gravel -- richer -- in the lower reaches. It has been claimed that the unique combination of minerals found in these two different soils endows the grapes with more intense polyphenols.
The estate is over 1000 ha in size with 210 of those dedicated to grape growing. Of the 210 ha, 140 is dedicated to growing grapes for the Unico and Valbueno wines of Vega Sicilia while the remainder is devoted to the needs of Alion, another Alvarez-owned winery. The north-facing vineyard is divided into 52 plots based on variety planted, vine age, and soil classification (there are a total of 19 separate soil classifications in the vineyard).
The varieties planted are Tinto Fino (the local name for Tempranillo) Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The Tinto Fino is said to produce smaller berries, with a higher concentration of tannins, when compared to the Tempranillo grown in Rioja. Vines are a mix of bush- and wire-trained and are planted at 2200 vines/ha. Average vine age is 35 years but a plant has to be at least 10 years old in order to contribute grapes to the wine. The estate has an extensive replanting scheme as it prefers the fruit profile of a mid-life vine versus that of an older vine.
The Vega Sicilia vineyards are farmed organically with the use of organic compost as needed and the use of natural herb teas to strengthen the vineyards and combat diseases. In addition, biological techniques are utilized for combatting pests and diseases. Vega Sicilia utilizes a patented natural anti-fungal mix (vanilla, garlic, chitosan, bee propolis) which is brushed on to every wound resulting from winter pruning.
The Vega Sicilia product lineup is shown in the chart below. The most famous of the three is the single-vintage Unico which is made from 80+% Tinto Fino plus Cabernet Sauvignon and is aged for in excess of 10 years. The Valbuena is a blend of Tinto Fino and Merlot and is aged for 5 years. The Reserva Especial is a multi-vintage blend of 30+-year-old Unico wines.
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| Cabernet Sauvignon component may be higher in older Unico vintages. Merlot component in Valbuena 5⁰ generally hovers around 5%. |
Given the elevation, the winemaker can wait to harvest the grapes when they are truly ready. Grapes are harvested by hand, with selection in the field, and transported to the cellar in small crates. Vineyard yields are kept low by green harvesting and field selection.
The Vega Sicilia winemaking process is fairly traditional until you get to the aging process. Many European wine regions have been consumed with the battle between aging in big oak barrels versus barriques. Vega Sicila has hewed to tradition while still incorporating some modernity into its winemaking process. And its wines have benifited from the approach. This mix of large oak vats, followed by barriques, followed by old oak, followed by bottle aging translates into more oak than seen by most of the world's other fine wines and a longer aging time to boot.
Tasting Vega Sicilia Unico Wines
I have tasted a selected number of vintages of the Vega Sicilia Unico, in most cases at dinners which included my wife as well as our dear friend Ron Siegel and his wife Bev.
2000 Vega Sicilia Unico, tasted in December 2018 at Vineyard Wine Company. Young, structured wine. Intense ripe red fruits on the nose. Layered complexity on the palate. Persistent. Round tannins. Many, many more years of fine drinking ahead of it.
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| Vega Sicilia drinking buddies: Ron, Bev, Parlo, and the author |
1991 Vega Sicilia Unico. Still a baby at the time of drinking. This wine was popped and poured and showed a nose of red fruits, exotic spices, vanilla, and tobacco. Plums and chocolate on the palate with silky tannins. Very classy and elegant.
1994 Vega Sicilia Unico. Drunk with a number of friends at the original The Wine Barn. I had embarked on a journey to taste the wines identified by Master Sommelier Andrew MacNamara as his "wines of the decade" and this was on his list.
Andres (owner of the Wine Barn) noted that this particular vintage was made by Mariano Garcia, the winemaker at Vega Sicilia from 1968 to 1998. The bottle was opened and decanted at 5:00 pm and I began pouring wine into the glasses at 5:15 pm. In the glass, the wine had an oily texture and a dark cherry color. Both Andrew and JC remarked as to the brilliance of the meniscus and lack of "bricking," an indication that the wine still had many years of life in it.
Scents of saddle leather, baking spice, sandalwood, wet stone, morcilla, bacon fat, toast, buttered raspberry, and sweet tobacco with brandy. At the initial taste, the wine did not live up to the promise provided to the nose. In addition, there was a strong sense of iron and the wine was both highly tannic and acidic. It exhibited a lot of power but the finish was not as long or as deep as one would have expected. Some vegetal elements were apparent towards the back of the tongue. We set the wine aside to see if the various elements would resolve themselves with time. The wine delivered. It smoothed out considerably as the elements began to integrate properly and the promise on the nose began to show up on the palate at about 5:50 pm. The vegetal characteristic noted previously resolved into a soft chalkiness and hints of Penfolds Grange began to show through.
In a comment on the post, Andrew MacNamara stated as follows:
For me, the 1994 Vega Sicilia is a timeless example of this extraordinary estate. I remember the first bottle I had of this. And I thought the exact same things you did. Nice nose, but quite unimpressed by the taste -- until several hours later when I came back to my glass and found that everything I expected to be in the bottle aligned in my glass. This is one of those wines where the taste stays with you forever ...
1982 and 1985 Vega Sicilia Unicos. Lunch at Jaleo. The 1982 was a gorgeously complex wine. Strawberries, candied red fruit, bramble and baking spices on the nose. Balanced and fresh on the palate with a medium to full body, soft tannins, layered complexity, and a lengthy finish. The 85 also presented well with notes of tar, smoke, ripe blackberries, spice, and leather on the nose. Dark red fruit on the palate along with sour cherries and tobacco. Integrated. Balanced. Lengthy finish.
1975 Vega Sicilia Unico. Jaleo lunch. Red fruit, roses, dried prunes, leather, and mocha on the nose. Dark fruits on the palate along with mocha and earth. Rounded mouthfeel and long finish,
1974 Vega Sicilia Unico. Lunch at Jaleo. Dark and red fruits, baking spices, smoke, leather. Integrated on the palate with rounded tannins and good levels of acidity. Lengthy finish.
1970 Vega Sicilia Unico. Tasted twice: once at an event at my home and the second time at a Victoria and albert dinner. In the first instance, the wine was decanted for residue and then poured into the waiting glasses. Even after being in bottle for well nigh 40 years, the wine had a bright color and was devoid of bricking. The wine offered up an aromatic feast of coffee, mocha, spice box, leather, mint, faded red flowers, raw meat, morcilla, dried currant, sandalwood, and dried tobacco. It exhibited great structure and balance and had a very long finish.
According to Ron, the 1970 Vega-Sicilia Unico that we tasted at V&A exhibited dried red fruits, licorice, graphite, earth, and spice box. Very focused with polished tannins. Elegant and silky. Balanced. First-growth-like.
1962 and 1964 Vega Sicilia Unicos. Private Iberian wine dinner. The 1962 had a slight green character with coconut, leather, baking spices and red fruit on the nose. Concentrated but less alive than I would have hoped. This wine still has a long life ahead. The 1964 showed some funk on the nose along with spice, mint, and red fruits. More open than its compatriot. Full round mouthfeel with a cherry liqueur note. Balanced. Lengthy finish.
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| 1962 and 1964 Vega Sicilia Unicos |
