{"product_id":"2018-vega-sicilia-valbuena-5","title":"2018 | Vega Sicilia| Valbuena 5","description":"\u003ch2\u003eRed Wine: 2018 | Vega Sicilia| Valbuena 5\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA harmonious red, displaying flavors of black plum reduction and wild strawberry fruit, with fragrant Earl Grey, cedar, cocoa powder and loamy earth notes in a graceful, medium- to full-bodied frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrder from the Largest \u0026amp; Most Trusted Premium Spirits Marketplace! \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatured in\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eROLLING STONE\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMEN'S JOURNAL\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUS WEEKLY\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNOTICE:\u003c\/strong\u003e Many other small liquor store sites may end up cancelling your order due to the high demand, unavailability or inaccurate inventory counts.  We have partnerships consisting of a large network of licensed retailers from within the United States, Europe and across the world ensuring orders are fulfilled.   \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eProducer:\u003c\/b\u003e Vega Sicilia\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRatings:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003eWA \u003c\/span\u003e| 96  \u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\" mce-data-marked=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003eJS\u003c\/span\u003e | 96\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eVintage: \u003c\/b\u003e2018\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 750ml\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABV:\u003c\/strong\u003e 14.5%\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVarietal:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Tempranillo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry\/Region:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Spain, Ribera del Duero\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- split --\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA harmonious red, displaying flavors of black plum reduction and wild strawberry fruit, with fragrant Earl Grey, cedar, cocoa powder and loamy earth notes in a graceful, medium- to full-bodied frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #222223;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #222223;\"\u003eReviews:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #9f250d;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #9f250d;\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWine Advocate:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e The 2018 Valbuena comes from a cooler vintage with good yields that required sorting and selecting in search of a happy and vertical version of Valbuena, pushing a little more and giving the wine a little more oak, especially American (5%). It was produced with 96% Tinto Fino and 4% Merlot that went through a three- to four-day cold soak and fermented with indigenous yeasts followed by malolactic in stainless steel. The élevage was in new and used 225-liter oak barrels and 21,000-liter oak vats. It has 14.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.8 and 4.78 grams of acidity (tartaric), so it's ripe and with mellow acidity that gives it a mellow mouthfeel. This is a very spicy vintage for Valbuena, getting closer to the style of Único (while at the same time I felt the 2018 Pintia from Toro was getting closer to the aromatics of some vintages of Valbuena, like 2010). It was a late-ripening year with a tendency toward freshness in the wines. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with very fine tannins that made the wine nicely textured and very elegant. There is a lot of regularity in the Valbuena of the last few years, here with more tension and freshness of the 2017, a little more balsamic even. 180,580 bottles, 5,528 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in May 2021.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #222223;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #222223;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #9f250d;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #9f250d;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames Suckling:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Deep and complex, with fresh black and blue fruit and an attractive floral and peppery note to this vintage, followed by hints of cedar, sweet spice and vanilla. Very dusty and juicy on the palate, with mealy, powdery tannins that interweave with the fruit. A Valbuena 5 that you can appreciate earlier.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eProducer Information\u003c\/h4\u003e\nVega Sicilia is widely regarded as the greatest wine producer in Spain. The estate in Ribera del Duero is known for its dense, complex red wines made principally from the Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) grape variety. Its top wine, Unico, is one of Spain's most expensive and sought-after wines. The Vega Sicilia estate covers around 1000 hectares (2470 acres) of which around 210ha (520 acres) is under vine. It has been in operation since 1864, long before the development of the appellation in which it resides, and the current wine styles date from the 1910s. Quality has become more consistent since the current owners, the Alvarez family, took over in 1982. The vineyards are planted to around 80 percent Tempranillo with the remainder taken up by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and tiny amounts of Malbec. Yields are kept low, aided by green harvesting and painstaking grape selection. Winery operations are just as meticulous, with a complicated series of rackings from large barrels to barriques, mixing old and new oak and leading to wines that are capable of long aging.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"CaskCartel.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42938880360586,"sku":"","price":899.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0050\/2395\/7103\/files\/44_9b5f071a-2091-4e4f-9804-0f77cbe6602e.jpg?v=1684503554","url":"https:\/\/caskcartel.com\/products\/2018-vega-sicilia-valbuena-5","provider":"CaskCartel.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}