Vega Sicilia Valbuena 1997

Medium ruby, the rim showing its age. Roasted plum, tobacco, damp earth and a faintly tarry, vegetal thread that is characteristic of Valbuena at this stage of its life. Dense and layered in the mouth, with a soft undercurrent of sweetness held in check by brisk, lively acidity, honest rather than generous. The finish tells the full story: a lemony snap, dry tannin, and a slightly abrupt close. Genuine complexity, but this is a wine of solid achievement rather than greatness.