Tempos Vega Sicilia typically presents its new vintages to the press at the start of the summer. However, this year the official market launch will take place in December for the international market, January 2025 for the Spanish on-trade and February for private customers.
The Spanish wines produced by Tempos Vega Sicilia that are scheduled for release on the aforementioned dates include Macán Clásico 2021 and Macán 2020, which form part of the joint project with Benjamin de Rothschild in Rioja. Alongside these are Pintia 2020 (Toro), Alión 2021, Valbuena 2020, Vega Sicilia Único 2015 and Vega Sicilia Único Reserva Especial (a blend of vintages 2011, 2012 and 2013) from Ribera del Duero.
As Gonzalo Iturriaga, the group's technical director, often points out, Vega Sicilia has a highly structured style which limits the scope for change. In contrast, other wineries have greater freedom to innovate and progress. However, despite the different vintages and regions, we identified a common theme during the tasting. Most of the selections exhibited moderate structure and refined textures, resulting in approachable and drinkable wines.
This is a global trend that is gaining momentum. We had a similar impression at the 2023 en primeur tastings held in Madrid by Vila Viniteca and Primeras Marcas in recent weeks. Bordeaux's top reds from both banks are becoming increasingly restrained in terms of extraction, with a gentler, more approachable style that is ready to drink.
It remains to be seen whether these wines will age as well as the more powerful versions of the past. According to Iturriaga, the objective is to enhance texture without compromising structure, thereby achieving elegance. "These wines have a greater ageing capacity. The previous generation of Únicos were reds with low alcohol and high concentration, and they age exceptionally well. Our experience has shown that achieving better results requires a focus on balance, texture and freshness, rather than on power. "Strong, rustic tannins do not improve with age," Iturriaga points out.
He mentions a recent vertical tasting of Macán from Rioja where the 2010 vintage, with ripe grapes at harvest time, felt somewhat tired in comparison to 2013, a challenging year with lower quality expectations but with wines that were livelier and nicely textured. "When grapes are picked crisp, the resulting acidity is not significantly greater, but you get a red or blue fruit quality that provides a more balanced flavour profile than what you get with very ripe fruit," Iturriaga says.
Pintia is arguably the most striking example of change within the group. Since Gonzalo Iturriaga joined the company in 2015, the focus has been on refining the wine production process. In 2015, he initiated a series of changes, such as stopping tank bleeding, reducing pump-overs, and removing the gross lees at an earlier stage. The wines don't undergo post-fermentative maceration, and are devatted at the end of the fermentation or even before.
In 2018, the winery underwent a full refurbishment in line with the introduction of new winemaking procedures. The goal was to increase fermentation capacity, both in oak and stainless steel vats, but using smaller tanks. Alión also adopted a similar approach, increasing the number of tanks from 20 to 42. A few years earlier, Vega Sicilia had set the trend with the construction of a new state-of-the-art winery, which increased the number of fermentation tanks from 20 to 81. This meticulous work undoubtedly refines the winemaking process. A deeper understanding of the grapes and vineyards helps to identify the resources available, establish quality standards, identify areas for improvement and gather information to inform future decisions.
Another key focus ─ in line with international trends ─ is minimising the impact of oak. Presently, most Pintia wines undergo malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, except for 10 to 20% which takes place in oak barrels. These are mostly wines from sandy soils in the Morales de Toro area. In addition to stainless steel, other ageing vessels include foudres and 1,700 and 750-litre Italian Tava amphoras - who would have imagined to see this at a Tempos Vega Sicilia winery! These new materials account for 15 to 20% of the ageing process. The approach is similar at both Alión and Macán, where some foudres have been introduced for ageing. In the case of Alión, two concrete tanks with a total capacity of 15,000 litres are also in use.
The most notable addition in Pintia on the 2023 vintage is an egg-shaped granite vat. The vat was acquired for the Tempos Vega Sicilia winery in Galicia (release pending) but has proven effective for Toro reds. The only sample available for tasting had been blended with a batch aged in oak. The wine showed more fruit definition, less power in the mid-palate and perceptible tannins. Furthermore, we compared an experimental co-fermentation of Tinta de Toro and Garnacha with the same wine without Garnacha in the blend. The first sample displayed greater aromatic complexity, with an abundance of herbs, and a fresher, less structured profile. Macán has also experimented with co-fermentation, blending Tempranillo with Garnacha and Graciano. This will be repeated in the 2024 harvest with white varieties.
The proportion of new and American oak is adjusted according to the characteristics of each vintage. At Pintia, the proportion of new oak is between 65% and 80%, while American oak represents 10% to 20%, but both are limited in warm vintages. Another key factor was the reduction of oak ageing times to 10-11 months and the extension of bottle ageing from 18 to 30 months. "We realised that Pintia needed more time to settle before being released," says Iturriaga. The same 30-month bottle ageing strategy was applied to Macán from the 2016 vintage - which is why Macán Clásico is always released a year earlier.
The changes at the Rioja winery, which is 50/50 owned by Benjamin de Rothschild, are not only related to ageing, but also to a greater familiarity with the area. Most of the Macán vineyards, just over 100 hectares, are located in the village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra and represent 80% of the estate's owned vineyards. The rest are scattered in Labastida, Ábalos, Navaridas and Elvillar. In recent years, some suppliers have been replaced by new ones, as the estate has chosen vineyards with a focus on fruit quality and fine textures. One of Iturriaga's favourite sites in San Vicente is El Bardallo - he loves the depth and tension that the elevation provides.
Alión went through a similar process a few years earlier, when the winery began to look beyond its vineyards in Pesquera, Padilla and those in the Vega Sicilia estate, which are destined for Alión. Some of the first sites that caught their attention were the high plateau of Moradillo de Roa and La Aguilera, both in the province of Burgos. In 2018, they extended their search for suppliers to Peñaranda, an elevated area in Burgos with a prized heritage of old vines, and to Soria, in the eastern end of the appellation, where they have sourced grapes from Atauta and Villálvaro. Today, Alión can be described as a truly regional Ribera red, since it blends grapes from the three main provinces of the DO.
The same could be said of Pintia, as some Garnacha has been incorporated into the blend. In fact, Iturriaga says he will continue to use as many tools as possible to get the vintages right. These include co-fermentations, field blending and microbiological research. At the moment, the group has its own yeast selections in each of its wineries, with the exception of Oremus (Tokaj, Hungary), and is working with the University of Castilla y León on several non-saccharomyces yeasts.
For the 2024 vintage, more for fun than for scientific purposes, Iturriaga plans to make a field blend from the oldest vineyard in the Vega Sicilia estate in Valbuena del Duero: a hundred-year-old plot with 26 different grape varieties.
See below our impressions and tasting notes of the new Tempos Vega Sicilia releases. Production refers to the standard 75 cl. bottles
Macán Clásico 2021. 2021 is the first vintage to be fermented with the two selected yeasts from the Macán vineyards. It also includes some batches of Tempranillo co-fermented with Garnacha and Graciano.
The wine reflects the tension and freshness of the vintage. There is a marked change in the presence of oak compared to previous years. The nose is clean and dominated by red fruit, with some meaty undertones that add depth. It is a medium bodied, easy flowing red with well-integrated tannins, ready to drink and enjoy.
"By far, my favourite vintage since I joined the company is 2021," confesses Iturriaga. Rioja saw above-average rainfall, so the vines had plenty of water reserves. No major incidents were reported in a year of moderate temperatures, except for a few storms in mid-June that affected seven hectares. Healthy, fruit-driven grapes with crisp skins were picked.
14% abv.
222,532 bottles
Macán 2020. Co-fermentation was introduced for the first time this year, although it represents barely 1% of the final blend. The presence of grapes from El Bardallo and other areas considered by Iturriaga to be of special quality may be more significant.
Deep cherry colour, much darker than the Macán Clásico, with deep black fruit aromas over a background of light toasted notes and hints of cocoa. The palate is less opulent and more refined than the nose suggests. Medium bodied, even subtle, with a remarkable silky texture and well wrapped tannins.
The 2020 vintage was a little riper than the 2021, but it benefited from the spring rains. The summer was warmer than average, with warm south-easterly winds in the first half of September. According to the winery, picking dates and adding some Graciano to the blend allowed for some extra freshness.
14% abv.
98,835 bottles
Pintia 2020. Very dark ruby red colour with a garnet edge. Very ripe nose with lots of black fruit (plums) and hints of black olives, liquorice and coffee. Opulent on the palate, slightly warm but with a lovely texture. The natural power of the vintage has been tempered by limiting extraction, using lightly toasted oak and introducing amphorae into the ageing process.
This is not the crisp fruit profile Iturriaga is aiming for, given the rapid final ripening stages that characterise Toro and the 2020 vintage. In 2022, some of the plants stopped growing due to the high temperatures, while in 2023, another hot year, the harvest started in August, the earliest ever at Pintia. To enjoy a near perfect vintage we will have to wait until 2021.
15.5% abv.
209,009 bottles
Alión 2021. I found this to be the wine that showed a major change in style, perhaps accentuated by the fresh profile of the 2021 vintage, which began with the Filomena snowstorm that brought temperatures down to -15ºC. While the spring provided sufficient rainfall, the cool summer slowed down the cycle. The grapes benefited from the slow ripening and the wide temperature variations between day and night.
Dark ruby colour. Fully ripe fruit, but not overwhelming as it retains its freshness; light spicy notes in the background. Flavourful, fruit-driven palate, but much more polished than usual and with a very pleasant texture. Good aromatic dimension, which leads to a very long finish, something that is not easy to achieve in the Ribera del Duero. The wine's mid-palate is shorter, but it has gained length and finesse to create a style that will probably appeal to more consumers.
14.5% abv.
244,244 bottles
Valbuena 5º Año 2020. Bright garnet colour. Deep black fruit with hints of pencil lead, liquorice and some smokiness. Refined palate with black fruit, good concentration, fine bitterness and velvety texture. Truly serious and with plenty of life ahead.
In the year of Covid, the humidity in spring was not too high compared to other Spanish wine regions. The main problem for the 2020 vintage in Ribera was the intense rainfall in September, which made it necessary to delay the harvest and monitor the health of the grapes to avoid potential dilution. The result is certainly excellent. In addition to Tinto Fino, this vintage contains 3% Merlot.
14% abv.
186,286 bottles
Vega Sicilia Único 2015. Dark ruby colour with a garnet rim. Deep nose, with plenty of ripe black fruit and a meaty note that adds depth and definition over a slightly toasted background. Surprisingly elegant on the palate, with both depth and refinement. It retains that austere Castilian edge but rises above it to convey subtlety and finesse.
2015 was a very good vintage in Ribera del Duero, without major problems and very rewarding for the vines. It was a dry year, with some rain at the end of spring, which accelerated the vegetative cycle. The sunny summer ensured excellent ripening and healthy grapes. Harvest was slightly earlier than average.
This vintage contains 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. To find out more about the making of Único, read this article which reveals the inner workings of such a long ageing process.
14.5% abv.
84,184 bottles
Vega Sicilia Único Reserva Especial 2025. The most limited Tempos Vega Sicilia wine is a vintage blend of Único. The "2025 edition" is made from 2011, 2012 and 2013. While the first two, and especially 2011, were very good years in Ribera del Duero, 2013 lived up to the curse of vintages ending in "3" - it was very cold and wet.
Medium ruby in colour, with a spicy character not present in the 2015 Único, and an herbal background reminiscent of Cabernet Sauvignon (it is barely 4% of the blend) or of the 2013 vintage. The palate is serious and austere, with a dark note (coffee), hints of kirsch, dried fruit (plums) and liquorice. The wine has an enveloping texture and a long finish. Still young and definitely firmer than the old Reserva Especial.
14.5% abv.
18,518 bottles
Finally, although our website is dedicated exclusively to Spanish wines, we would like to recommend the 2017 vintage of Oremus Aszú 5 Puttonyos. Unlike in Spain, it was a cold and rainy year, with very generous yields of botrytised grapes. The wine has the citrus character, balance and vibrant acidity of the region's great vintages (Iturriaga compared it to superb years like 1999 or 2013) and, predictably, the same ageing potential.
