Vega Sicilia: an altogether Único experience

I often write about new wines, undiscovered wineries, and lesser-known regions. Not this time. Vega Sicilia is one of the best known names in Spanish wine, if not the best, and in fact one of the most respected wineries in the world. But I am so excited after my first visit here that I will now add my own impressions to the litany of reviews of Spain's number one estate.

Vega Sicilia is an iconic winery. The wines attract high prices and allocations are fiercely fought over. It's one of those wineries on the bucket list of places to see, and driving past the signs pointing to the estate encourages the same feeling of excitement as seeing the great vineyards of Bordeaux or Burgundy for the first time. But actually the recipe for success here is very very simple and doesn't rely on any en primeur hype or clever marketing: the whole operation relies on some basic principles, even if no expense has been spared to reach this level of perfection...even the drains are branded!

So yes, there's no denying that there is some very shiny expensive kit in the winery. And I'm guessing this helps - just a little! - to produce such precise and technically brilliant wines. But if we were only to focus on the machinery, tanks, barrels, and impressive architecture of the bodega, we'd be ignoring the two key factors that really capture the spirit and tradition of the estate: the vineyards, and the history of the estate, now carried forward by Javier Ausas, the technical director of Vega Sicilia. 

Pictured above (he's the one on the left!!), Javier describes making these wines like creating a beautiful painting. You can't paint the sky with just one type of blue; you need to create definition, depth, shades of interest. You need to start with a full palate of colour. And so the same for these wines. There are 81 parcels of fruit that are harvested and vinified separately to make Vega Sicilia's Ribera wines. From these individual parcels come all the nuances, subtleties  and complexities that warrant the wines' reputation. There is minimal intervention in the winemaking process in order to keep a fresh fruity character, and a great amount of attention is paid to the type of oak used to ensure perfect integration (there is even an on-site cooperage). 

And then there is the aging: Único is only released 10 years after the vintage. So there's no secret winemaking technique to produce this level of quality; rather, there is a reverent respect for the vines, patience and the 150 year history of the estate. As Javier says, they've learnt a bit about their vineyards over that length of time!

So what a privilege to taste some of the latest releases. Pintia 2008 is my personal favourite vintage to date. Javier talks about taming the wildness of Toro and the very thin line they have to walk to pick the fruit at just the right time. Half a day, even an hour too late might mean the difference between the lovely fresh fruity character of the 08 Pintia, and an over-ripe Toro, too powerful and difficult to drink. In contrast, the 2011 Alión is the "civilised version" of Pintia according to Javier. This is a much more complex wine, meatier and very powerful but there is an underlying elegance which will ensure this ages perfectly. Where I would be happy to drink the 2008 Pintia soon, the 2011 Alión needs a lot of time to come together in bottle but then it should really shine.

  

So onto the two flagship Vega Sicilia wines... 2009 Valbuena and the 2004 Único. The 09 Valbuena is already beautifully integrated: the youthful expression of a difficult terroir as Javier explains. It is more accesible and approachable than the "grown up" partner Único. But what a surprise, the 04 Único is already clearly a very great wine. Again another explanation from Javier...Often this wine needs a lot of time to reach its potential and is difficult to approach when young. But Javier likens the 2004 to a young toreador: from a very young age it is clear when a boy has the skill to become a great bull fighter, if he has natural ability. The 2004 Único already demonstrates that this is an exceptional wine. They say that this is as good as the mythical 1970 vintage. Time will only tell but from what I tasted, I'd say that it has a good shot!

Another interesting point that Javier makes is about Tempranillo. Could this be the great grape? OK so Alvaro Palacios may say it's Garnacha, and I'm sure there are a few Burgundians and Bordelais who have different opinions. But it is worth considering for a moment, and certainly adds to my opinion that Spain is the most diverse winemaking country in the world. Where else could one grape produce so many different expressions of wine? Just look at the Vega Sicilia range: Toro, Ribera, Rioja. All made from Tempranillo and yes there is an element of a "house" style. But the differences are all clearly defined from the varying terroirs of three very distinct regions.

For me it is very important to highlight these sorts of wines from time to time. It's true, I always like to emphasise the amazing value found in Spain, and normally I'm sourcing wines at the more "affordable" end of the scale. But Spain should be proud of the extraordinary producers found there, like Vega Sicilia, that truly rival the best found anywhere in the world. And even at this level, the value is astonishing. I'd rather buy a case of Alión than one bottle of expensive Bordeaux. So if you're looking to fill your cellar with wines that will continue to surprise and delight in years to come, you know where to look.

I tried to take a souvenir with me but the barrel was too big for my handbag...