Since the 2010 harvest, they ferment plot by plot, and it shows. This Valbuena has almost 100 components in it, smaller lots, all of them corresponding to a plot of vines. It has all the signs of being one of the best vintages ever for this second wine from Vega Sicilia, mostly Tempranillo but with 5% Merlot that matured five months in 20,000-liter oak vats, 18 months in new barriques (equal parts French and American oak), three months in used barrels and then five months in the vats again before being bottled in May 2013. 2010 seems to have the exuberance of the 2011 and the seriousness and elegance of 2009. It has the Burgundian philosophy of terroir, with all plots fermented and aged separately, giving each vineyard what it needs in terms of vinification and elevage resulting in something like 40 separate lots to blend. This wine has gained in precision and sharpness, and is very pure with delineated aromas and flavors. It is a world-class wine, possibly the best Valbuena ever. 180,000 bottles and some bigger-sized formats were filled. The wine will be released in 2015. Drink 2016-2025. - Luis Gutierrez (eRobertParker.com)

Ein Bilderbuchsommer ohne extreme Temperaturen war der Beste Schlüssel zu einem der besten Valbuenas, die je produziert worden sind. Verführerische Aromen von reifen Waldbeeren, dazu ein Anflug von Leder und Wiesenkräutern. Auch mineralische, an Graphit und Erde erinnernde Noten. Im Gaumen fast noch jugendlich verhalten, aber sehr edel. Hat viel Substanz aber auch Finesse.

Since the 2010 harvest, they ferment plot by plot, and it shows. This Valbuena has almost 100 components in it, smaller lots, all of them corresponding to a plot of vines. It has all the signs of being one of the best vintages ever for this second wine from Vega Sicilia, mostly Tempranillo but with 5% Merlot that matured five months in 20,000-liter oak vats, 18 months in new barriques (equal parts French and American oak), three months in used barrels and then five months in the vats again before being bottled in May 2013. 2010 seems to have the exuberance of the 2011 and the seriousness and elegance of 2009. It has the Burgundian philosophy of terroir, with all plots fermented and aged separately, giving each vineyard what it needs in terms of vinification and elevage resulting in something like 40 separate lots to blend. This wine has gained in precision and sharpness, and is very pure with delineated aromas and flavors. It is a world-class wine, possibly the best Valbuena ever. 180,000 bottles and some bigger-sized formats were filled. The wine will be released in 2015. Drink 2016-2025. I tasted the latest three vintages of Valbuena, to get up to speed with what’s in the market. If there’s a wine in their collection that has seen a huge improvement since 1998, it is Valbuena, which had been kind of neglected since the launch of Alion in the early 1990s. For Valbuena, they do not want a second wine in the Bordeaux style. But with the competitive Alion breathing down its neck and the pressure of its big brother, it felt a bit out of place. So they decided to look back at the vineyards: they studied the soils and saw why Unico and Valbuena had been (empirically) produced from separated plots. Importer: Christopher Cannan, Europvin; www.europvin.com

2010 was the first vintage made in the new winery and, following a soil study, Vega Sicilia were able to vinify plot by plot. Both of these factors contributed to an exceptional Valbuena that's darkly aromatic with notes of cedar and redcurrants. In the mouth, by contrast, it's surprisingly delicate, fresh and textured with fine-grained tannins. Dark cherry builds to peppery spice and a savoury edge. A widely acclaimed vintage.

95% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 5% Merlot. Matured for five months in 20,000-litre oak vats, 18 months in new barriques (equal parts French and American oak), three months in used barrels and then 5 months in the vats again before bottling and aging an additional 29 months. 180,000 bottles produced. Deep garnet. Has started to evolve a smoky cape that wraps rich dark fruit. Fine cedar oak aromas and silky tannin. While this is gorgeous now, it has so much verve it could easily go for another decade. Toasty, dark, chocolatey. Slight creaminess and lactic note to the finish. (SCJ)