Vega Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 5, Ribera del Duero, Spain 2019 1.5L

Valbuena 5º is the purest red wine expression at Vega Sicilia, aged for five years in oak and bottle, hence its name: Valbuena 5º.

This 2019 vintage was drier than the previous ones, which was evident during the grape tasting at the beginning of September. The fruit was very healthy and the skins ripened well thanks to the rain that fell at this time of year. Our obsession was to find freshness without erring on the side of over-ripeness. During the fermentation, we made sure that the extraction was gentle. Obviously, we adjusted the ageing, maturing part of the wine in oak vats during the first year to add tension to the wines. For this vintage, the presence of American oak was reduced in favour of French oak, with a preference for light toasts. In the second year, the wooden vats helped to bring out complex nuances and, above all, textural elegance.

Valbuena 5º 2019 is both succulent and muscular, taut and delicate. Expressive, elegant, lively and profound, it is a fascinating wine.