2013 Vega Sicilia Pintia Toro DO 750 ml

The wines of Vega Sicilia have served as the benchmark of Spanish reds for over a century, accepted broadly as the country’s ultimate Grand Cru. If you can get your hands on them, the top wines from the estate—Único and the Único Reserva Especial—retail for $350-$500 per bottle. At $70, today's 2013 Vega Sicilia Pintia provides a way to experience that legendary Vega Sicilia quality without emptying your bank account.

Last year’s vintage was a sell-out success, so we are thrilled to share this lush and powerful release with our members. Vega Sicilia is our #1 top-rated red, and last year's 4.6 out of 5-star rating puts the Pintia close on its heels. 

Vega Sicilia built its reputation for exclusivity since it placed at the top of the 1929 World Fair, a feat that put their wines among the ranks of First Growth Bordeaux and Burgundy for both quality and exclusivity—the top wines usually dwell in the cellars of top collectors, where they live for decades next to other trophies like Domaine de la Romanée Conti and Château Latour. 

When the lauded winery looked west to the developing region of Toro in the 1990s, it was a visionary move based on a century of experience. Tempranillo had been cultivated in Toro for hundreds of years, but never reached the fame of its upriver cousin, Ribera del Duero. Vega Sicilia set out to change all that with the purchase of vineyards in 1997 and the inaugural 2001 release of Pintia. Critics routinely shower applause on the winery for its craftsmanship in Toro, including this 2013 release, which Wine Advocate called out for carrying the finesse linked to Vega Sicilia’s flagship.

The swift change in heat forces us to shed a layer every time we make the two-hour drive from Ribera towards Toro, farther from the sea than Ribera del Duero and lower in the valley. Even the Tempranillo grape has adapted to the unique climate—the local strain Tinto del País has thicker skins that create wines with muscle. 

Vega upholds its quality in the sunnier region with tight management on harvest dates and a strict hand in the cellar. The cool, fresh 2013 vintage gave them precisely what they needed. Wine Spectator raves about the wine's muscle with a lift of freshness, putting simply "This red is firm yet fresh...A savory style, showing depth." 

Pintia starts to build its exceptional complexity in the vineyards with ungrafted 40- to 60-year-old vines trained close to the ground in a goblet style to help mitigate the heat. The grapes are immediately cold-soaked, which slowly lures spicy character from the dense berries. The wine finishes in barrel, adding layers of dark chocolate and espresso to the festival of violets and lilacs on the nose. Obsessed with quality at every stage of the process, Vega Sicilia reserves the wine for years, only releasing it when it's ready to drink (although you could still save it in your cellar for decades).

Vega Sicilia's magic is usually out of reach of most. Now, this genuinely world-class bottling offers a chance to experience their top-flight quality for a fraction of the price of their other wines. Just $70 today.