VEGA SICILIA VALBUENA 5° 2014

Tempos Vega Sicilia
Valbuena 5º 2014

“The 2014 Valbuena, mostly Tempranillo with some 5% Merlot fermented by plot, making a selection from their 210 hectares of vineyards, and then matured in a combination of barriques and larger 20,000-liter oak vats. 2014 is a spectacular vintage of Valbuena, and it reminds me of the 2010, perhaps a tad more elegant and less powerful. It’s expressive and has floral notes on the nose along with wild berries, herbs and a spicy and smoky touch that’s nicely integrated. It has good complexity and nuance, and the palate is medium to full-bodied and intense, with pungent flavors and great length and persistence. Truly spectacular! 184,684 bottles, 5,578 magnums and some large formats produced. It was bottled in June 2017.” – 96/100, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

VARIETIES: 95% Tinto Fino and 5% Merlot, average 35-Year Old Vines
REGION: Finca Vega Sicilia, D.O. Ribera del Duero, Spain
AGEING: Ageing almost 10 years between wood and bottle, each batch is what determines the type of wood and the time spent in each container
GUARDING POTENTIAL: ready to drink now holding a potential ageing window of approximately 20 – 25 years if kept in ideal conditions: constant temperature of 12 – 14 ºC and 60% relative humidity
SERVE: Optimum drinking temperature is 18 ºC
FITS TO: The richness and complexity of the wine make it an ideal pairing for robust dishes, pair beautifully with Carne a la Parrilla / Cordero Guisado, as well as aged cheeses like Queso Zamorano / Manchego DO / Queso Iberico / Roncal etc
CRITICS SCORES: RP/96, JS/96, D/94, WE/94, WS/93
VIVINO: Average 4.6 ★★★★✰

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Valbuena 5º 2014 | Range | Tempos Vega Sicilia

Valbuena is the pure expression of a red at Vega Sicilia, with an ageing of five years from barrel to bottle, which gives it its name, Valbuena 5º (5th year). 225-litre French and American oak barrels, both new and used, 8,500-litre vats are used in a long and complex process for perhaps, the wine which has evolved the most over the last few years.

Valbuena 5º presents its splendor in each vintage and a direct view of the greatness of its soil, where the weather conditions each year make a clear distinction on the vintage.

Thanks to the extraordinary job in the vineyard and ageing in tanks on its second year, today´s Valbuena 5º 2014 is velvety, complex, harmonious. A very fine wine.

Mild winter and less rain than usual.

Spring started with higher temperatures than normal in both May and April, bringing forward budding 8 days. Starting mid-May temperatures began to decrease reaching normal values for the time, even particularly cold nights, yet no frost. It was a year of good fruit set where green pruning was very important, working plot per plot to attain optimal balance.

Summer started with moderate temperatures which persist until the end of August and rising higher than the average in September, favoring optimal maturity.

Harvest started September 20th ending October 3rd.