Spain · Castilla y León

Vega Sicilia

Vega Sicilia is Spain's most prestigious wine estate and one of the most historically significant in the world, producing wines that have been collected and cellared for over 150 years. The estate in Ribera del Duero was founded in 1864 by Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, who brought Bordeaux varieties — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec — to blend with the native Tempranillo. The result was Unico, Spain's greatest wine, which spends an extraordinary 10 or more years aging in a combination of American and French oak before release. The Álvarez family has owned Vega Sicilia since 1982 and has continued to invest in both quality and innovation, establishing Alión (a more modern-style Ribera del Duero) and Pintia (in Toro). Unico is produced in exceptional vintages only and released in tiny quantities; the Reserva Especial is a blend of three particularly great years and is also produced in limited amounts. The wines express Tempranillo's dried fruit character with remarkable complexity: dried cherry, leather, tobacco, cedar, vanilla from oak aging, and an earthy, mineral terroir character. At auction, Unico commands some of the highest prices of any Spanish wine, with great vintages such as 1962, 1968, 1970, and recent releases from 2009 and 2010 among the most sought-after bottles.