Vega Sicilia Valbuena 2005

Dark cherry, licorice root, graphite and a trace of charred wood, the nose is layered and open, though the wine is clearly still mid-development. Rich and expansive across the mid-palate, with concentrated red fruit that shifts toward cassis and cherry stone as it breathes, picking up spice and density along the way. The texture is plush and seamless, the finish long and sweetly persistent. Still very much a young wine; patience will be rewarded. The 1998, for context, has moved into a compelling, almost wild tertiary phase, dried herbs, pressed flowers, mineral-driven red fruit, and still has considerable life ahead.