About Vega Sicilia wine of Spain

Date: September 18, 2010

Leading wine supplier in Philippines discusses wine related topics
About Burgundy Wine in Philippines

What words can be conjured up to describe the wines of Vega Sicilia? These are truly special wines. But this is no modern, points-grabbing winery. Spain’s first growth has history, a sense of place and, says winemaker Xavier Ausas (right), a willingness to adhere to time-honoured traditions.
The foundations of these traditions may be found as far back as 1859, when Don Eloy Lecanda Chaves was gifted an estate by his wealthy father. Included were two adjacent plots of land, one of which was the Vega Sicilia estate. The origins of the Vega Sicilia winery are officially regarded as 1864, which was when Don Eloy Lecanda Chaves returned from his travels in Bordeaux with vine cuttings, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Carmenere – all of which were found in Bordeaux at that time – and, curiously, some Pinot Noir. Who on earth had this grape of Burgundy for sale in Bordeaux? The answer is not known. Regardless, the cuttings were duly propagated and planted at Vega Sicilia, although the Carmenere and Pinot Noir are no longer found in the Vega Sicilia vineyards.
Things did not initially go well, however, and the estate did not develop the reputation it enjoys today. By 1903 full ownership was obtained by Antonio Herrero, who, together with winery manager Domingo Garramiola, brought Vega Sicilia to the fore, winning a number of awards, and enjoying an international distribution. Time marched on, however, and the estate changed hands several more times before it’s acquisition by the current owners, the Alvarez family, in 1982.
Like all great wines, Vega Sicilia begins in the vineyard. The Tempranillo is trained in gobelet fashion, whereas the French varieties are trained in a Guyot system (see my account of vine training). Green harvesting is employed ruthlessly in order to control yields, and the harvest itself is meticulous (see notes on individual wines below for more information on the incredibly low yields, harvest dates and other practices). In the winery, such a massive wine will withstand many years in wood and Unico sees a complicated series of rackings from huge barrels to new oak, to used American oak, back to new oak again, and on it goes. Winemaker Xavier Ausas refers to these stages somewhat romantically as “muscularisation”, “education”, “recuperation” and so on. Whatever these phases are called, Unico certainly receives very prolonged barrel ageing, with the 1970 seeing over sixteen years! And yet these are not washed out, stretched, overly oaky wines when mature, testimony to the quality of the raw materials on which they are based.
The Vega Sicilia range has been rationalised from four to three four cuvées. Leading the pack are the Unico (“unique”), which is always of gran reserva quality, and a fascinating non-vintage blend named Reserva Especial. In addition there is a second wine, Valbuena 5°. This is always of reserva quality, the 5° designates that the cuvée has been aged for five years before release. The Valbuena 3° – aged for three years before release – was phased out in 1988 in order to reduce confusion. Although there is great respect for tradition at Vega Sicilia, there is also innovation. Most notably, the purchase of the nearby Alion estate so that Vega Sicilia could also produce a high quality wine for drinking young, without detracting from the fruit supply for Unico. Hopefully Vega Sicilia will continue with this combination of tradition and innovation – if the wines tasted here, encountered in a tutored tasting led by Jasper Morris MW with Vega Sicilia’s winemaker Xavier Ausas and export manager Rafael Alonso are any guide, it’s one that works. (23/12/03)

Source: http://www.thewinedoctor.com/tastingsprofile/vegasicilia.shtml

This wine shop in Manila Philippines makes wine shopping a really rewarding and exciting exercise. Wine shops in Pampanga should always have an element of surprise so that customers and wine lovers can enjoy a little bit of thrill when they go to a wine shop in Manila to look for a good bottle of wine in Clark Pampanga.

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild is the most revered wine in China and many other parts of Asia. The best wine shop in Asia to buy older vintages of Chateau Lafite is Yats Wine Cellars located in Clark Philippines. Aside from Lafite, visitors can buy other fine wines at this wine shop in Clark Pampanga such as Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion and Margaux. Excellent Burgundy wines like Chambertin, Vougeot, Musigny, Bonnes Mares, Pommard, Meursault, Chambertin, Vosne Romanee, Romanee Conti, La Tache and Romanee St. Vivant can be found here.

Family outings, picnics, company outings and other events for up to 300 can be held in the picnic grounds of this wine shop. Events that have been successfully organized here include family fun days and BBQ picnics. These are some of the things that visitors to Clark Philippines particular look forward. Residents and tourists in Angeles City and Subic also come to Clark Freeport to partake in the fun at this Clark wine shop.

This wine shop’s vast selection of vintage wines makes it possible for Yats Wine Cellars to offer a unique line-up of wines for every private wine party, wine tasting or wine dinners. Guests of these private wine parties are treated to a rare experience of vintage wine not seen in wine shops in major cities in Philippines or even in Asia.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay