Vega Sicilia

History of Domaine Vega Sicilia

In 1848, a Basque landowner, Don Toribio Lecanda, after meeting the Marquis de Valbuena, who was facing bankruptcy, purchased one of his vast estates located in the western part of the Ribera del Duero wine region, the Pago de la Vega Santa Cecilia y Carrascal, covering 2,000 hectares at the time. Subsequently, this name was shortened to give rise to the designation "Vega Sicilia".

It was his son, Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, a passionate lover of Bordeaux wines with a strong preference for the Médoc terroir, who planted the first vines at the end of the 19th century. He introduced into the Ribera del Duero noble grape varieties previously unknown in the region: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, as well as the Spanish Tempranillo. By 1882, there were already more than 500,000 vine plants in the plains of the Ribera del Duero.

In 1904, Domingo Garramiola, a key figure in the history of Vega Sicilia, began applying Bordeaux winemaking and ageing techniques. His work bore fruit in 1915 when the estate's two mythical cuvées were born: Unico and Valbuena. The new owners of the time, the Herrero family, reserved their wines for a very exclusive circle of hand-picked friends, thus forging the legend of exclusivity that still surrounds Vega Sicilia today.

After the Spanish Civil War, the estate went through several decades of transition. It was under the stewardship of the Álvarez family, from 1982 onwards, that the estate reached the heights of worldwide renown. Pablo Álvarez, the current director, enforces exemplary rigour both in the vineyard and in the cellar, reinforcing the permanent pursuit of excellence.

Thanks to its exceptional qualities, Vega Sicilia drew attention to the Ribera del Duero region in the 1980s and contributed significantly to the granting of the Denominación de Origen protected designation of origin for the wine region, spectacularly enhancing the notoriety and reputation of the entire vineyard. Today, Vega Sicilia is a member of the Primum Familiae Vini association, which brings together the twelve most prestigious wine estates in the world.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Vega Sicilia

The Vega Sicilia vineyard enjoys a privileged location between 700 and 900 metres above sea level, in the Ribera del Duero wine region. It extends over nearly 210 hectares, of which approximately 140 hectares are devoted exclusively to the production of the estate's great wines. The property as a whole represents an estate of nearly 1,000 hectares, of which only a fraction is dedicated to the vines.

The terroir of Vega Sicilia is of remarkable richness and complexity. Clay-limestone, gravelly and alluvial soils alternate to confer an inimitable complexity and structure upon the wines. This mosaic of soils yields varied expressions depending on the plot, and contributes to the harmonious blending of the cuvées. For the Unico, the vines rest on predominantly sandy-gravelly soils with a quartz subsoil, promoting exceptional drainage and a slow, ideal maturation of the berries. For the Valbuena, the plots are situated on the hillsides bordering the Duero river, on colluvial soils with a calcic horizon at depth, conducive to the pure expression of Tempranillo.

The climate is strictly continental, with marked cold winters and hot summers tempered by altitude. The estate enjoys low rainfall, abundant sunshine, and the Duero provides morning mists that maintain a degree of freshness essential to the aromatic complexity of the wines. This diurnal temperature range, sometimes exceeding 20°C, is the key to a slow maturation that concentrates the aromas while preserving a remarkable natural acidity.

The 210 hectares of vines are divided among three grape varieties: Tempranillo, also known as Tinto Fino in the region (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The estate manages its entire vineyard in a sustainable manner, testing various biodynamic approaches on certain plots, without seeking official certification, in a spirit of deep respect for natural balances.

Winemaking at Domaine Vega Sicilia

The winemaking philosophy of Vega Sicilia rests on a fundamental principle: allowing time to do its work. Each harvest is carried out by hand, with a rigorous bunch-by-bunch selection. After a delicate destemming, the berries undergo a slow fermentation, favouring a gentle extraction of aromas and tannins.

The fermentation of the Unico takes place at controlled temperature in large wooden vats, using indigenous yeasts preserved in the vineyards for generations. Malolactic fermentation also takes place in wood, ensuring a harmonious and gradual integration of all the wine's components.

The ageing process, the true signature of Vega Sicilia, is of rare complexity. The wines are aged for very long periods in different types of vessels: new and used French and American oak barrels, and large-capacity foudres. The objective is to endow the wine with silky tannin structure, infinite aromatic complexity and an exceptional capacity for ageing.

For the Unico cuvée, ageing is broken down into successive stages in different vessels: French and American oak, 225-litre barrels, then large-capacity foudres. Under normal conditions, the wine spends six years in wood and four in bottle — a full decade before release. An unparalleled commitment in the world of wine.

Each year, the estate crafts its own barrels in order to exercise complete control over the quality of the wood and the influence it will have on its wines. This total mastery of the chain, from vine to cork, is a testament to an absolute standard of excellence. Certain vintages deemed insufficient are simply not released under the Vega Sicilia labels — a rare decision in the world of wine, which further enhances the prestige of every bottle brought to market.

The Cuvées of Domaine Vega Sicilia

Vega Sicilia Único Gran Reserva

The Único is without question one of the most sought-after and most mythical bottles in the world of wine. The true flagship of the estate, the Unico is the result of an extremely meticulous selection of 40 plots, accumulating ten years of ageing before being released, making it one of the longest ageing periods in the world for an exceptional wine. The Unico blend is dominated by Tinto Fino (Tempranillo, approximately 94%), complemented by a small proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon. After fermentation, this wine undergoes what is probably the longest barrel ageing in the world for a red wine — nearly ten years between wooden vat and bottle.

Vega Sicilia Único Reserva Especial

The Reserva Especial cuvée is the most exclusive wine produced at Vega Sicilia. Always a blend of three exceptional vintages, the oldest of which must be at least twenty years old, this cuvée sometimes requires up to twenty years between harvest and bottling. It represents the ultimate expression of the estate's philosophy of patience and excellence — a timeless work, free from the constraints of any single year. Each Reserva Especial is numbered and only leaves the cellar when the blend reaches a balance deemed perfect by the winemaker.

Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5° Año

The Valbuena 5° Año is the first step into the world of Vega Sicilia — and what an introduction it is! It is the purest expression of Tinto Fino for Vega Sicilia. After fermentation with indigenous yeasts, the wine undergoes a five-year ageing period between wood and bottle — hence its name. The blend is primarily composed of Tempranillo, complemented by a proportion of Merlot that varies according to the vintage.

Alión

Created in 1991 in the Ribera del Duero appellation, the Alión cuvée represents the contemporary vision of the Álvarez family. This wine is the result of a rigorous selection of the estate's terroirs, where the great maturity of the berries, combined with ageing in barrique and concrete tank, yields a refined and complex wine with supple and elegant tannins, beautiful red fruit aromas and mineral notes evoking pencil lead.

Pintia

Located in the Denominación de Origen Toro, the Pintia estate embodies the encounter between the raw power of the Castilian terroir and the refinement characteristic of the Álvarez family. This 100% Tinta de Toro wine, a local variety of Tempranillo, displays impressive aromatic complexity and concentration. The aromatic palette is dominated by dark fruits, spices and garrigue. The ageing of Pintia takes place in French (75%) and American (25%) oak casks, a combination that tempers the natural power of the grape variety while conferring upon it a rare elegance for the Toro appellation. 

Macán and Macán Clásico

The Macán project was born from the encounter between Benjamin and Ariane de Rothschild and Pablo Álvarez of Vega Sicilia. Together, they quietly assembled a 120-hectare vineyard in the Rioja Alta, purchasing plots from small farmers and focusing on the finest terroirs with clay-limestone soils and Tempranillo vines aged between 25 and 80 years.