Vega Sicilia: wines and prices

About Vega Sicilia

Founded in 1864 in Valbuena de Duero by Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, who returned from Bordeaux and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec alongside the local Tinto Fino, Bodegas Vega Sicilia is Spain's most famous winery and one of the most admired in the world. For over a century it was an almost solitary beacon in a Ribera del Duero still far from its present renown, and its flagship wine, Unico, became a symbol of prestige, served at royal and diplomatic tables. Since 1982 the estate has belonged to the Álvarez family, who renewed the vineyards and winery while preserving the house's identity; it is now led by Pablo Álvarez. The vineyards, at around 700 to 800 metres, enjoy an extreme continental climate with wide day-night temperature swings. The house style rests on very long ageing in wood and bottle before release: Unico, from Tinto Fino with a share of Cabernet Sauvignon, reaches the market only after many years, while Valbuena 5° offers a younger expression.