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Valbuena 5 2009 75cl

DO | Ribera del Duero | Castilla y León | Spain
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Critics scores
95 By Robert Parker
92 By Wine Spectator
No, the 2009 Valbuena is not a current release, but I had a bottle blind at a tasting and most people, including myself, guessed it was a Grand Cru Burgundy, so aromatic, floral, expressive and elegant it was. We couldn't believe it when the wine was revealed. Later, a bottle of the 2010 was opened, and it confirmed it as the best Valbuena of recent times, with a rare combination of elegance and power, combining characters of fine Burgundy and elegant Syrah from the Northern Rhône.<br/>They seem to never stop at Vega Sicilia. The latest development has been to increase the volume they can age in large oak vats to some 40,000 liters, so that the ratio of wine to oak can be a little lower as they use more vats and fewer barriques.
Producer
Bodegas Vega Sicilia
Spain’s most famous red wine producer, Vega Sicilia consistently produces the best distinct blends from the Ribera del Duero, in both style and approach. Located in Valbuena de Duero, the estate has been in the Álvarez family since 1982, and has remained the largest in the country, with about 1000 hectares of property – 25% of which are planted to vines. Their top wine, Unico, is a delicious blend of Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and Cabernet Sauvignon. Unico benefits from extended cask-maturation time that has been perfected to preserve amble freshness in the finished wine. Then there is also the exceptional Reserva Especial, a non-vintage, which is a blend of the top selections, and is traditionally aged for 10 years consisting of mostly Tinto Fino, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The second wine coming from Ribera del Duero’s most influential vineyard is Valbuena, which has more present fruit character, a cuvée of Tinto Fino, Malbec and Merlot.