From my first visit to Spain in the late 50s, I have heard Spaniards talk reverentially of Vega Sicilia (now in DO Ribera del Duero) as their greatest wine. The estate dates from the mid 19th century and started acquiring its mythical quasi Romanée-Conti status in Spain in the 1920s and continued enjoying that status through to the early 80s when it was acquired by its present owners, the Alvarez family.
Not content with producing Spain’s acknowledged greatest wine, the Alvarez family expanded its wine interests and acquired Bodegas Alión, also Ribera del Duero in 1982, a Hungarian vineyard in 1993 and Pintia, DO Toro, in 1997.
There are two cuvées at Vega Sicilia itself, Valbuena – a sort of second wine - and Unico, the grand vin. 250 hectares are planted with vines, of which 200 with Tinto Fino (AKA Tempranillo) and the rest with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. The oldest vines are used for Unico which also contains more CabSauv than Merlot (the reverse for Valbuena) though the actual percentages vary from vintage to vintage. Unico goes through an unusual élevage lasting at least 7 years and Valbuena 3 and a half years. Unico is fermented through to malo in foudres (large barrels) and Valbuena in stainless steel tanks. Then the wine starts ageing in new barrels (mainly American oak seasoned for 3 years) and is progressively transferred into ever older barrels until it is deemed to have achieved balance at which point it is transferred into foudres until bottling. Unico matures for another 3 years in bottle before sale and Valbuena for 1 year and a half.
At Alión, 100% Tinto Fino, methods are much more modern with fermentation through to malo in foudres followed by 14 to 20 months in French barrels, mainly new. At Pintia, 100% Tinta de Toro – a Tempranillo clone, élevage is broadly similar but with 30% American oak.
I had never tasted Vega Sicilia until I happened to say so to the head of the Spanish subsidiary of the group for which I was working. Whereupon, the next day I was surprised to receive a bottle of Unico, 1980 I think, as a generous present. Over 10 years later I opened it for some wine friends and was duly impressed by its aristocratic bearing combined with great freshness. I think that I wrote a TN but cannot find it in the archives. Alión, based on bottles of 1994 and 1995 drunk recently (TNs in the archive), ranks as one of my favourite Spanish wines for its suave fruit, velvety texture, length and classical shape on the palate.
I naturally jumped at the chance of tasting the Alvarez Spanish range when I saw that it was programmed at Buena Vida. Of course, these were “young” wines, just released, so I did not get to taste mature examples such as I read about enviously in a recent TN of a Vega Sicilia Unico vertical. However, I did get the opportunity to compare the different wines coming from the same stable.
Pintia 2007 (€30) showed fine deep fruit with a bitter tang to its aromas and firm tannic structure. More time needed; 16/20 potentially.
Alión 2007 (€50) showed the raw materials for turning into something like the 94 and 95 with medium weight, lovely fruit suffused with cherry and gentle structure but with raw wood flavours still apparent. Given vines more mature than in the mid 90s, at least 16/20+++ potentially.
Valbuena 2006 (€110) revealed a new dimension of depth and richness of fruit but without a hint of jamminess allied to firm structure; already drinking nicely but should acquire an extra dimension with ageing; 17/20+++ potentially.
Unico 2000 (€243/bottle - €10 for a quite generous tasting measure). One could tell that this “young” wine was still unfinished business but it was already majestic. The nose was complex with dark fruit, minerals and an almost Médoc like leafy tang. The palate was mouth-filling, very long and classically shaped showing the liveliness of fruit of a young wine combined with complexity including notes of raspberry, cedar and gentle varnish (VA touches?), lively acidity and fine tannic structure giving a noble backbone. And it was moreish; I easily finished the glass (spitting) and then returned to the remainder of the Valbuena, which by comparison then seemed quite one dimensional. Potentially a great wine, I think, 17.5/20 now with 19.5/20 potentially?
(NB - all the above information and a lot more comes from Buena Vida's splendid catalogue - in Dutch and French - which contains more information with pictures about Spanish wine regions than I have yet found in any book.)