2018 Vega Sicilia, Valbuena 5.°, Ribera del Duero DO 3x75cl

JancisRobinson.com

96% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 4% Merlot. Winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga: I love this wine. It s an iron fist in a velvet glove. But in 2018 you needed great soil like we have. Valbuena is a great expression of our terroir: power and the vintage. (The last year they made a Valbuena 3 , aged for 3 rather than 5 years, was 1988.) 2018 was a bit rainy with oidium but the berries were really crunchy and elegant. Just 15 days cuvage with local yeast. They used US or French oak for each lot, though it is vintage-dependent. Normally US 15-30% and French for the rest with about 65% new. Valbuena contains 3-6% Merlot and is made in big vats. After the second year of ageing all the lots are blended together. Iturriaga admitted, I prefer this wine to my kids - especially now that they re 13 and 14 - worse than a vintage like 2022! Fantastic freshness. Really round and glorious and direct. Just a hint of port (same river!) but the freshness compensates. Beautiful texture. Long and seductive. Mountain intensity with some meatiness. Very long. (JR)