Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 Ribera del Duero 2019  £175.00

Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5

Valbuena is the purest expression of the Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) in Vega Sicilia. Tinto Fino is clearly the predominant wine in the assemblage of the varieties that make up this magnificent wine. The other variety used is Merlot, which is added to a greater or lesser extent depending on the vintage.

The Valbuena Tempranillo is obtained from plots located on gentle concave slopes that descend from the wasteland. Those soils are made up of material that was eroded and accumulated as colluvial on the lower slopes, developing a high-profile soil, with a specific important evolution with the formation of a deep calcic horizon.

Valbuena provides us with a direct and understandable view of the greatness of this "terroir" with the direct influence of each vintage. Its production remains unchanged meaning that it is each year's weather factors that mark the differences between the different harvests.  Fermentation at a controlled temperature with native yeast in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation also takes place in stainless steel.  After fermentation, it is aged for five years, between wood and in the bottle, which is why it is called Valbuena 5º. French and American wood, new and used 225-litre barrels, 20,000-litre vats, a long and complex process for great wine.

This 2019 vintage was drier than the previous ones, which was evident during the grape tasting at the beginning of September. The fruit was very healthy and the skins ripened well thanks to the rain that fell at this time of year. Our obsession was to find freshness without erring on the side of over-ripeness. During the fermentation, we made sure that the extraction was gentle. Obviously, we adjusted the ageing, maturing part of the wine in oak vats during the first year to add tension to the wines. For this vintage, the presence of American oak was reduced in favour of French oak, with a preference for light toasts. In the second year, the wooden vats helped to bring out complex nuances and, above all, textural elegance.

Valbuena 5º 2019 is both succulent and muscular, taut and delicate. Expressive, elegant, lively and profound, it is a fascinating wine.