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2018 Valbuena 5°, Vega Sicilia, Ribera del Duero, Spain

  • Red
  • Dry
  • Full Bodied
  • Tempranillo
James Suckling
96/100
Tim Atkin MW
97/100
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Product: 20181240599
2018 Valbuena 5°, Vega Sicilia, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Description

The 2018 Valbuena is a masterful expression of Tinto Fino (Tempranillo). Evocatively perfumed and expressive, the limestone terroir has resulted in a wonderfully linear and richly concentrated wine. Exuding elegance, the palate orchestrates a harmony of bright fruit, mineral undertones and nuances of spice. The exceptional fruit concentration and structure aided by extended oak ageing have provided the foundations for a wine that will gracefully unfurl in your cellar for a decade or more. As they say, patience is a virtue, and boy will this reward you.

Liam Mckeown, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (January 2023)

Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2018
Alcohol % 14.5
Grape List Tempranillo
Body Full Bodied
Property Vega Sicilia

Critics reviews

James Suckling 96/100
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.Drink or holdjames_suckling, jamessuckling_com (September 2022)
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (Sep 2022)
Tim Atkin MW 97/100
Produced entirely with estate fruit since the 1996 vintage, Valbuena combines Tinto Fino with 4% Merlot that's planted in the lower part of the farm close to the Duero river. Showing the structure and focus of the 2018 vintage, this is a scented, complex, savoury red that's just starting to get into its stride, with Mediterranean herb scents, fine tannins and some underlying grip and minerality.Drink 2025 - 2035Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com (January 2023)
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com (Jan 2023)

About this wine

Tempranillo/Tinto Fino

A high quality red wine grape that is grown all over Spain except in the hot South - it is known as Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero, Cencibel in La Mancha and Valdepenas and Ull de Llebre in Catalonia. Its spiritual home is in Rioja and Navarra where it constitutes around 70% of most red blends.

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