2016 Valbuena 5°, Vega Sicilia, Ribera del Duero, Spain

The 2016 Valbuena is dense, dark, almost monolithic wine at first with focused and brooding blackcurrant fruit. It is a Valbuena with huge potential; after eight hours in the glass, the wine is still extraordinarily fresh, revealing a top-note of chocolate-coated violet creams and the?lightest?hint of extremely pure peppermint. The mouthfeel is initially dominated by the high level of tannins which fall like soft, broad snowflakes on the palate yet with very pure, dark blackcurrant fruit behind. Liquid black cherries and bitter dark chocolate coat the mouth whilst lifted hints of violets appear along with exotic notes of rose petals. The wine is not yet mouthcoating though; it is still very upright at this stage, like a lieutenant standing to attention. It will need a long time to relax, to mellow and to reveal its true potential. This is a serious Valbuena, intense, dense and complex with an astonishingly long finish and an unbelievably long life ahead of it.
Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer (January 2021)

Bright, Blueberry notes on a luscious and inviting nose.? This Valbuena is a great example from 2016, the medium-plus palate is bright and fresh, richly textured blue and black fruit that are impeccably balanced.? A?really nice?grip of tannin that teases the taste buds to take another sip.? This is a really good, well-honed Valbuena – a crowd pleaser but with class and precision – impeccably constructed with the right balance between fruit and structure – tempting to drink in the next 3-5 years but keep 10+ and you are in for a treat!
Stuart Rae, Fine Wine Commercial Manager (January 2021)