In 1864, Eloy Lecanda founded the winery that symbolizes the golden legend of Spanish red wine. Throughout its long history it has belonged to different owners, although it has always maintained an unquestionable personality, making wines that are concentrated, mature, generous and extremely elegant. The Vega Sicilia wineries are located in Valbuena de Duero, in the province of Valladolid, on an estate made up of a fertile plain that follows the course of the river. The river is the northern boundary of the 1,000 hectares of the property; the southern limit is set by the woods, which stand on the slopes leading to the plain. The estate has a plantation of 250 hectares of vineyard, which contains 80% of the autochthonous tinto fino variety or tempranillo de la Ribera, and the rest is cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec. The soils are clayey-limestone, with brown-grey streaks and an alluvial area. Vega Sicilia is unquestionably a unique wine, and one of the great Spanish classics. Its personality not only comes from the supreme quality of the grape and the rigour involved in its manufacture, but also, and above all, from the care for detail that the Álvarez family has succeeded in transmitting to the wines. The peculiar characteristics of Vega Sicilia define it as a very Spanish wine and it is one of those wines that command respect at the very mention of its name. The Vega Sicilia wines possess an old but stately air, like period furniture; wines with great elegance, finesse, complexity and ample capacity for maintaining their characteristics in the bottle for a long time.