Tempos Vega Sicilia, Spain: Wineries, 10 Charming Wines (2024)

Tempos Vega Sicilia (commonly known as Vega Sicilia) is a bodega or Spanish winery located in Valbuena de Duero in Valladolid, Northern Spain. 

The estate lies within the Ribera del Duero region, an appellation under the Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP.) 

The iconic Vega Sicilia produces some of the most prized Spanish wines - each underscored by an enduring legacy of winemaking traditions.

In this article, we’ll discover everything about this Spanish winery - the different estates under it, the 10 best wines of Vega Sicilia, and their investment potential. We’ll also explore the estate’s history, vineyards, and some fascinating facts.

Vega Sicilia Wineries & Their Wines

Vega Sicilia has five wineries under its umbrella:

• Bodegas Vega Sicilia
• Bodegas Alion
• Tokaj-Oremus Kft
• Bodegas y Viñedos Pintia
• Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia

A. Bodegas Vega Sicilia  

Bodegas Vega Sicilia is the original estate founded in 1864. It has three delicious wines in its portfolio.

• Unico: The cuvée comprises around 80% Tempranillo balanced with Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon. Only the best harvests are used for Unico, and it may not be produced in poor vintages. 

Fermentation occurs in wooden tanks before the wine goes through one of the world's longest red wine aging periods — about 10 years between the barrel and bottle — before it’s even considered for release.

• Unico Reserva Especial: The Reserva Especial is a non-vintage assemblage of different Unicos, aged at least 10 years. The vintages used in the blend can be more than 30 years apart. They are also regularly derived from vines that are over 40 years old. 

Older Reserva Especial releases are a little challenging to collect because neither the release year nor the vintage years are indicated. Between 1981-2000, only the release year is noted on the label. Since 1991, the labels also comprises the vintages in the blend. 

• Valbuena 5°: This wine is made with Tempranillo grapes blended with Bordeaux varieties Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 is made from younger vines, aged for five years in American oak barrels before release. 

Until 1998, there was also a Valbuena 3 (indicating three years of aging), but it has been taken off the market. 

B.  Bodegas Alion

The Bodegas Alion winery was established in 1991. It aims to produce a more modern wine style of Tempranillo.

Alion wine ages in a new French Oak Bordeaux barrel for 14-20 months and then spend another 15 months in the bottle. 

C. Tokaj-Oremus Kft 

The Tokaj-Oremus Kft winery in Hungary was founded in 1993. It makes the Furmint wines of Hungary.

Vega Sicilia produces four wines from their Tokaj terroir in Hungary. 

• Oremus Vendimia Tardía
• Oremus Mandolás
• Aszú 
• Eszencia 

Aszu and Eszencia are sweet dessert wines made from a blend of Furmint with Hárslevelű, Sárgamuskotály, Zéta and Kövérszőlő grape varieties.

D. Bodegas y Viñedos Pintia 

Bodegas y Viñedos Pintia was established in 2001 in Toro, on the other bank of the Duero River. This Vega Sicilia winery lies on the borders of Valladolid with Zamora, located about 100km away from Vega Sicilia. 

Pintia wines explore expressions of the local Tempranillo grape known as Tinta de Toro. 

Aging happens in French and American oak barrels for 12 months before they’re matured in the bottle until ready for drinking. 

E. Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia 

Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia is a joint winery project initiated in 2013 between the two great wine families, Rothschild and Alvarez. The result is the superb Macán, a Rioja red wine. 

The Macán and Macán Clásico, produced from grapes of the Rioja region, are the results of the joint venture between the Rothchild and Álvarez family. These wines are also 100% Tempranillo. 

These Rioja wines are aged in fine-grain French oak barrels for about 12-15 months and then spend a substantial time in the bottle before release. 

10 Amazing Tempos Vega Sicilia Wines To Buy In 2024

Here are some of the best Vega Sicilia wines that will make great additions to your collection.

1. 1968 Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva
2. Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial
3. 1988 Vega Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 5
4. 2013 Vega Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 5
5. 1986 Vega Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 3
6. 2015 Vega Sicilia Alion
7. 2014 Vega Sicilia 'Pintia'
8. 2016 Vega Sicilia 'Pintia'
9. 2009 Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild - Vega Sicilia 'Macan'
10. 2005 Oremus Eszencia

1. 1968 Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva, Ribera del Duero ($2,086)

This Spanish wine has complex bouquets of raisin, dust, and flower aromas that require extended airing to reveal itself fully. Raisin and earthy berry flavors finish with prune and berry notes. 

2. Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial, Ribera del Duero ($502)

The Reserva Especial is an opulent, textured wine. This great wine comes with juicy, black, and blue fruits with notes of truffle, warm cigar wrapper, and crushed river rocks. Its sweet inner perfume is balanced with herbs and savory minerals on the palate.

3. 1988 Vega Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 5, Ribera del Duero ($340)

It is a dark red wine with an exotic nose of black fruit and spice. The palate is elegant with an outstanding balance and a long, pleasant finish.

4. 2013 Vega Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 5°, Ribera del Duero ($178)

This Spanish wine offers the exotic aroma of blueberries with Middle Eastern spice notes. The palate is pulpy with the oaky flavor of stewed plum and beef bouillon. Oxidized notes mark the finish, suggesting that this should be drunk sooner than later. 

5. 1986 Vega Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 3, Ribera del Duero ($209)

The nose of this exotic wine showcases jam figs, prunes, herbs, toasted wood, snuff, coffee, and vanilla aromas. The well-rounded and dense palate has balanced acidity and a lasting aftertaste.

6. 2015 Vega Sicilia Alion, Ribera del Duero ($118)

The aroma of violet, plum, and dark berry switch between fruity and floral in this 2015 Alion. Flavors of baked blackberry and black-tea end on a short finish, with scrubbing tannin in the mouth and minty oak notes. 

7. 2014 Vega Sicilia 'Pintia', Toro ($76)

This 2014 Pintia has a highly intense color and depth, with cherry red tones. The nose delivers a brambly, leathery black fruit aroma and smoky oak. The palate is chalky, tasting dark and toasty with spicy berries and cassis. 

8. 2016 Vega Sicilia 'Pintia', Toro ($69)

The 2016 Vega Sicilia has black and red fruit aromas with a medium-bodied palate and abundant, chalky, and fine-grained tannins. 

9. 2009 Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild - Vega Sicilia 'Macan', Rioja DOCa ($167)

This 2009 Rioja red wine is an earthy, heavyset wine, reflecting a hot vintage. Ripe and chewy on the palate, it shows notes of rich dark chocolate, with a mix of oak, tobacco, black cherry, and plum flavors. 

10. 2005 Oremus Eszencia, Tokaj, Hungary ($662)

This amber-colored Tokaji offers ethereal aromas of beeswax, raw honey, freshly baked tarte Tatin, canned apricot, and fresh pear. The acidity is beautifully balanced, so its velvety richness can be appreciated without cloying sweetness.

Investing In Vega Sicilia Wines

Vega Sicilia wines are some of the most age-worthy bottles in the world.

While Alion wines can age for around 15-20 years, Pinitia and Macan have the aging potential of 10 and 15 years, respectively. 

For instance, the legendary wine - Unico Gran Reserva - is one of Spain's most expensive and age-worthyones. 

The 1964 vintage that was released in 1976 at 2,700 Spanish pesetas. That’s equivalent to about $19 today. The price of 1964 Unico in 2022 is $1,230, which is more than 6000% of its initial value!

Even the more recent vintages appreciate well. The 2006 Unico was released at £2,340 per dozen in December 2017— that comes to $256 per bottle. The average value of this vintage in 2022, just five years later, is $477 - an 86% increase.

In addition, Vega Sicilia wines consistently receive remarkable ratings from famous wine critics and magazines. For instance, Wine Spectator rewarded the 2009 Vega Sicilia Unico wine impressive 95 points. 

This greatly adds to the appeal of these Spanish wines, making them a premium choice among collectors.

You can easily invest in Vega Sicilia and any other fine wine through a trusted wine investment platform like Vinovest within a few clicks! The best part is that you can do it from anywhere in the world - be it the US or New Zealand.

Here’s a brief look at the winery’s beginnings.

A Brief History of the Vega Sicilia Winery

The name Vega Sicilia has appeared in Spanish documents well before the bodega was founded. No one knows its exact origin, other than that Vega refers to the greenery along the Duero riverbanks and that Sicilia is a nod to Saint Cecilia, patron saint of musicians. 

The winery was founded in 1864 by Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, a Spanish winemaker trained in the Bordeaux wine region of France. Initially, he named it Bodegas Lecanda. 

Returning to Spain, Don Eloy Lecanda Chaves brought vine cuttings of traditional Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec, planting them alongside an indigenous varietal - the Tinto Fino or Tempranillo.

In 1915, the Herrero family bought the estate and renamed it Bodegas Vega Sicilia. 

As phylloxera hit Rioja, the Herrero brothers rented the property to Cosme Palacio, a negociant who brought in the renowned Spanish winemaker, Domingo Garramiola Txomin. 

Garramiolo crafted the first Unico in Vega Sicilia’s winery and the estate’s second wine, Valbuena. 

In 1952, Prodes, a seed company, bought the Vega Sicilia estate. They appointed Jesús Anadón as the estate manager and Mariano García as the head winemaker. 

But it wasn’t until 1982, when the Álvarez family acquired this Northern Spain winery, that it began to forge a global reputation. Pablo Alvarez instituted the estate’s meticulous approach to winemaking, which is the key to the success of its wines. 

The Álvarez family is also a part of the Primum Familiae Vini, an association of family-owned estates.

Now let’s look at the wineries and vineyards of this iconic estate.

Vega Sicilia Vineyards

Vega Sicilia’s vineyards keep their yields low through green harvesting and meticulous grape selection. 

Green harvesting is when unripe clusters of grapes are removed to allow remaining clusters to ripen fully. It results in a high-quality harvest.

Vega Sicilia does not use any chemical fertilizers or herbicides. Only biodegradable products that the vine or soil cannot absorb are employed. These sustainable viticultural practices ensure that the vines are healthy and the soil fertile. 

Here are the main Vega Sicilia vineyards.

• Vega Sicilia and Alión: The Vega Sicilia estate and Alión are located in Ribera del Duero. 

Vega Sicilia covers almost 1000 hectares of land with 210 hectares under vine, some over 100 years old. The grape varieties grown here are Tempranillo (Tinto Fino) with Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which goes into the Unico, Valbuena, and Alion wine labels.

Meanwhile, the 130 hectares of land in theAlión habitat cultivates Tempranillo grapes.

• Pintia: The Pintia vineyard is located within the Toro region, with 96 hectares under vines with an average age of 35 years. The grape varietal grown is Tempranillo. 
• Oremus: Nearly half of the Oremus vineyard in Tokaj, Hungary, cultivates the Furmint grape to produce Mandolás dry white wine and Tokaj’s famous dessert wines. The rest of the estate is dedicated to Hárslevelű, Sárgamuskotály, Zéta, Kövérszőlő and Gohér grapes.

Let’s make this even more interesting!

5 Interesting Facts about Vega Sicilia

Here are some fascinating tidbits about this venerated producer.

1. Perfectionist winemakers

Vega Sicilia doesn’t make Unico with unsatisfactory harvests, so Unico may not have a vintage each year. It’s this commitment to quality that many believe has kept Ribera del Duero as one of the world’s finest wine regions.

Vega Sicilia estate is in no hurry to release its wines. It ages its wines for years in the barrel or bottle and holds on to their inventory until a suitable release time. 

In 1991, for example, they released both the 1968 and 1982 vintages, which had been aging 23 years and nine years, respectively. 

2. Their own cork trees

Faulty corks were discovered in some Vega Sicilia wines, which made them recall the entire 1994 Valbuena 5 Reserva production. The company lost $3 million, and to prevent this from reoccurring, Pablo Alvarez had 50,000 cork trees planted on Vega Sicilia property.

3. Counterfeit wines

A counterfeit ring was discovered by Spain’s Civil Guard in 2018, which was producing replica bottlings of high-end collectible wines, including Vega Sicilia’s. Cheap, relabeled versions of upscale wines were sold at much higher prices, some at 10 times their actual worth.

4. Caught in a few scandals

For many years, David Álvarez, the family patriarch, and five of his seven children wrangled over control of Vega Sicilia and other holdings. After nearly 10 years of the feud, David’s children emerged victoriously. The Spanish press named it after the soap opera “Falcon Crest.”

5. Art on the magnums

Vega Sicilia likes to decorate the labels of its Grand Vin with art, in the footsteps of Bordeaux’s distinguished first growth Château Mouton Rothschild. But only their Unico magnums get this special treatment. 

Fine Craftsmanship meets Global Acclaim in a Vega Sicilia!

Vega Sicilia’s vintage Unico and other wines are some of the most coveted wines in the world. That’s unsurprising, considering the perfectionism of their winemakers and the estate’s adherence to the highest standards.

Vinovest can help you find that perfect bottle of Vega Sicilia with just a click of your mouse from the comfort of your home - whether it’s the more modern Alion or the incredibly age-worthy Unico!

Why not sign up today and build a winning portfolio of spectacularfine wines?