2019 Valbuena 5°, Vega Sicilia, Ribera del Duero, Spain
Description
I am a committed Valbuenista, so it’s no surprise that I adore this. 2019 was a warmer vintage than the more “Atlantic” 2018, but you barely notice it. The Vega terroir has an uncanny ability to create fresh wines even in hot, dry years. This is especially true of Valbuena, which tends to be a selection from plots on north-facing slopes with less structure and more elegance. This 2019 has gorgeous, flowing dark fruit and juicy acidity. While there is plenty of structure and volume on the mid-palate, it’s oh-so-smooth and effortlessly long. Having tasted many a Valbuena over the years, I can say without hesitation that this is one of the greats.
Edward Richardson, Private Client Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd
-
Colour
Red -
Sweetness
Dry -
Vintage
2019 -
Alcohol
14.5% -
Grape
Tempranillo -
Body
Full Bodied -
Producer
Vega Sicilia
Critics reviews
The 2019 Valbuena 5º is primarily Tempranillo with a 3% dash of Merlot from the Vega Sicilia Estate and was aged for up to two years, one in foudres and the other in different kinds of oak barrels. Garnet-red with a faint bluish-purple sheen. The aromas feature cedar and vanilla accompanied by plum, sour cherry and subtle pine hints. The dry and velvety palate shows a faintly chalky texture and supple tannins that create an unctuous but taut character. The energetic red is wrapped in a gently plush blanket.
Drink 2025 - 2040
Extremely perfumed with violets and a bouquet of flowers. Then there’s blue fruits such as blueberries and raspberries. Medium-bodied with beautifully crafted tannins that give a superb mouthfeel and finesse. Refinement with depth and focus. So wonderful to drink now but it will be even better in four or five years.
Try in 2027
The obsession in 2019 was to avoid excess ripeness and to keep the freshness, so they did a softer vinification, used larger vats for the élevage and used less American wood. The 2019 Valbuena was produced with a blend of Tinto Fino with 3% Merlot. It has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.88 and 4.6 grams of acidity. I love the nose; it is perfumed and subtle. And the wine is beautifully textured; the tannins are very fine, silky even, quite different from the tannins from the other 2019s from the group that I tasted next to this, Macán and Pintia. A triumph over the conditions of the year, it's a more elegant Valbuena than I anticipated. 190,490 bottles, 5,581 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in June 2022.
At Vega Sicilia, they never stop changing and relentlessly looking for ways to improve their wines. They are increasing the capacity of 75,000-liter oak vats and have conducted a study of their non-Saccharomyces yeasts.
Drink 2024 - 2032