2019 Valbuena 5°, Vega Sicilia, Ribera del Duero, Spain

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.Vega Sicilia crafts grapes exclusively from its own vineyards in Ribera del Duero. Owned by the Álvarez family since 1982, Vega Sicilia meticulously tends to ancient vines in the Quintanilla de Onésimo region, cultivating 210 hectares within a vast 1,000-hectare estate alongside pine groves, oak forests and cork oak trees. Their wines, planted in clay-limestone soils, undergo extended ageing in barrels and "tinos" (large oak vats) for up to five years, followed by additional years in bottle. The estate is renowned for its cooperage and will soon be supplied by the oak trees they have planted on the property. In the realm of wines, Vega Sicilia Único, for which Tempranillo is blended with 5-6% dashes of Cabernet Sauvignon, comes from over 40-year-old vines. Its unique style marries a sense of place and winemaking nous and promises exceptional ageing potential. Meanwhile, Valbuena has a more serene ageing profile that captures the essence of Ribera del Duero. The Alvarez family also owns Bodega Pintia in Toro and Oremos in Tokaj. In Rioja, they have teamed with Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild for the creation of Macán.Drink 2025 - 2040Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous.com.com (November 2023)

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 - 2032Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate (January 2024)

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 2027james_suckling, jamessuckling_com (November 2023)