Vega Sicilia's Valbuena 5 brings over a century of Spanish winemaking mastery to the glass. From high-altitude Ribera del Duero vineyards where cool nights temper warm days, these grapes develop black cherry, plum and cassis layered with violet, sweet spice and toasted oak complexity. The 2019 is supple yet structured, silky tannins and vibrant acidity create a wine that feels both immediately inviting and built for the cellar. This is Spanish wine with pedigree and soul: pour it with confidence, let it breathe, and experience why Vega Sicilia has defined the region for generations. A bottle that rewards both patience and present pleasure.

The obsession in 2019 was to avoid excess ripeness and to keep the freshness, so they did a softer vinification, used larger vats for the élevage and used less American wood. The 2019 Valbuena was produced with a blend of Tinto Fino with 3% Merlot. It has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.88 and 4.6 grams of acidity. I love the nose; it is perfumed and subtle. And the wine is beautifully textured; the tannins are very fine, silky even, quite different from the tannins from the other 2019s from the group that I tasted next to this, Macán and Pintia. A triumph over the conditions of the year, it's a more elegant Valbuena than I anticipated. 190,490 bottles, 5,581 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in June 2022. 95Pts, Drink 2024-2032, Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate