Community Tasting Notes 48

• Rani Likes this wine: 91 points

  January 20, 2024 - Tasted blind next to its 2001 sibling. Noticeably more aged. Earthy, a lot of acidity, hung meat, very fine tannins. In its drinking window.

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• awever Likes this wine: 94 points

  March 8, 2020 - Traditional Ribeira del Duero at its best, complexity, density, some acidity, not on the Unico level, but very good

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• Burgundy Al wrote: 92 points

  June 8, 2019 - Lisa's Big Birthday with Very Good Wine (Riverwoods, IL): Black and red cherry throughout with espresso, tobacco and roasted meat hints. Very good balance and length with a bright elegance. Might still have upside form here.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• portman63 Likes this wine: 93 points

  April 13, 2019 - A robust version of Tempranillo for heartier fare than Rioja. Black fruited with tar and earthiness. I can see this being mistaken for a left bank Bordeaux blind. Very well made with great structure in the mid-palate, yet a line of acidity to make it pair well with fatty Spanish meats. I've had other vintages I preferred (e.g. 2001), but this is still a strong showing at 20+ years and more time to go.

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• olracx62 Likes this wine: 94 points

  December 10, 2017 - My first experience with a Valbuena (first sip with Coravin). Rubin red with some orange reflections. Sublime nose with classy cigar box, smoke and delicate red fruit with exotic spices, unforgettable; at the palate consistent notes of dark fruit in an extreme finesse which reminds me of renown pinot noir from Bourgogne. Very elegant, lacks of muscles but reveals extremely seductive and enticing. Memorable. Will taste again over the next years (seems young still). 94
  Second sip on October 13, 2018. The wine has changed and now is thicker and monolitic, less elegant and refined, with tons of dark fruit still there. Great in the baloon after dinner. 93
  Third and last sip on October 20, 2018. Cork completely drenched. In the meanwhile taste has evolved to fruit in spirit with lots of sediment. The worst part of this tasting. I leave the original rating

  1 person found this helpful Comment

Pro Reviews 4

Wine Definition

• Vintage 1998
• Type Red
• Producer Bodegas Vega-Sicilia
• Varietal Tempranillo Blend
• Designation Valbuena 5°
• Vineyard n/a
• Country Spain
• Region Castilla y León
• SubRegion n/a
• Appellation Ribera del Duero
• UPC Code 8436014245083

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 6 (1%)
• In Cellars 535 (64%)
• Consumed 296 (35%)

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