Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2017  £145.00

Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 2017

Valbuena 5º is the purest expression of Vega Sicilia's red wine. It is aged for five years between barrel and bottle, giving rise to the wine's name: Valbuena 5º.

A complex vintage influenced by frosts and drought. A quick and early harvest, definitely a challenging vintage we interpreted by extracting less during fermentation and making adjustments in ageing. The first year of ageing 10 % less new oak barrels were used and ageing took place in wooden casks during the second year, essential when it comes to developing the wine's harmony and tension.  Valbuena 5º 2017 is more mature, juicy, and voluptuous expression, with the focus always on harmony

2017 Vintage

Slightly lower than expected temperatures were recorded during January, along with severe frosts. However, that trend changed during February and through to the end of June, with average temperatures (2 to 3 ºC) higher than the mean. The high temperatures in April saw budburst come slightly early in the vineyard, already at phenological stage C (visible green point) on 20 April. However, both sharp temperature changes towards the end of that same month and severe widespread frosts significantly impacted budburst. The most significant frost occurred on the night of April 27/28, causing most damage to the vineyard, but we managed to tackle it efficiently using the estate's frost towers.   The cold front at the end of April/start of May passed over quickly, giving way to high  temperatures and rainy periods, enabling the vineyard to recover.

In terms of precipitation, the accumulated amount of just 235 litres across the entire wine-growing season was below the historical mean.

The significant diurnal (daily maximum and minimum) temperature variations during the first fortnight of September are worth mentioning, given their importance when ripening grapes.

96 points Robert Parker

2017 was marked by the frost of the night between April 27 and 28 that Vega Sicilia fought with their anti-frost towers. The end of the season was warm, and the overall rain was low, 235 liters. The 2017 Valbuena is marked by these circumstances, produced with 94% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 6% Merlot, with good ripeness (14.5% alcohol) and mellow acidity (4.65 grams of tartaric acid and a pH of 3.85). The grapes were cooled down and took three to four days of maceration to start fermenting with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in a combination of new and used French and American 225-liter oak barrels and 21,000-liter oak vats for almost three years. The result, for whatever reason, was nothing short of spectacular. The wine is perfumed, floral, expressive and balsamic like few vintages before. It doesn't feel like a 2017 at all; it is harmonious, and the tannins were fine. It's an amazing Valbuena that clearly transcends the character of the vintage. What I see here is that since 2010, the wine has a very high consistency. And in 2017 it excels. 170,071 bottles, 5,516 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in June 2020.

Luis Gutierrez