Vega Sicilia - Ribera del Duero Valbuena 5° 2003
Price: $195.69
| Producer | Vega Sicilia |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Ribera del Duero |
| Varietal | Tempranillo |
| Vintage | 2003 |
| Sku | 50832 |
Vega Sicilia Description
A wine that shows us the splendour of each vintage based on the wisdom of the past and the wealth of the present.
A mellow, passionate and living style that year after year, challenge after challenge, harvest after harvest reinterprets its style to keep its essence intact.
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 a great wine.
Wine Advocate: 94 Points
The 2003 Valbuena is purple-colored and super-fragrant with aromas of pain grille, pencil lead, black currant, and blackberry liqueur. This is followed by a powerful, concentrated wine with an opulent palate-feel, layers of flavor, and beautiful integration of oak, tannin, and acidity, no mean feat in the torrid 2003 vintage. Supple, sweet, and long, this superb effort will evolve for another 4-6 years and drink well through 2025.
Vinous Media: 93 Points
Deep ruby. Intensely perfumed aromas of smoky cherry and cured meat, complemented by vanillin oak, baking spices and dried rose. Chewy red berry and cherry flavors are firmed by dusty tannins and given lift by a jolt of tangy minerality. Picks up bitter cherry skin and pit on the long, refreshingly juicy finish. No way I'd have guessed this to have come from a hot vintage. -- Josh Raynold
