Vega Sicilia

Vega Sicilia was founded in 1864 in Castille and planted with Bordeaux varietals. Over the years, the quality of the wine made it legendary and it was instrumental in the development of the Ribera del Duero wine region. Owned since 1982 by the Alvarez family, there are over 200 hectares of vines of which 40% are still planted to Bordeaux varieties (with Tempranillo covering the rest) and many of the vines are truly ancient. Wines are released after many years of bottle age, most especially the flagship Unico, first released in the 1915 vintage and which is generally over a decade old when offered. Alongside Unico, Valbuena is a slightly less structured wine released at 5 years old and a Reserva Especial is released occasionally, a blend of multiple vintages given extensive ageing. This winery is unique and one of the world’s true greats.