dinner

Vega Sicilia Hosted by Head Wine Maker, Xavier Ausás

Tuesday 5th November, 2019 selection of canapés Foie Gras & Pistachio Lollipop Roasted Celeriac & Truffle Ricotta Goat’s Cheese & Beetroot Tart

Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 741 n.v.

tuna & hamachi crudo Squid Ink Ketchup & Tarragon Oil

Tokaji Mandolas Dry Furmint Oremus 2017

roasted phesant breast Ceps & Jerusalem Artichoke

Ribera del Duero Vega Sicilia Valbuena 2014 venison saddle Sweet Potato & Black Mole Sauce

Ribera del Duero Vega Sicilia Único 1996

Ribera del Duero Vega Sicilia Único 2004

eton mess Pear & Maple Syrup

Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttunyos Oremus 2010

Chef: Julien Jouhannaud : Clément Robert M.S.

a brief history Vega Sicilia

Vega Sicilia, Spain’s “” and most prestigious wine estate, is located in Ribera del Duero. It was founded in 1864 by Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, who arrived from Bordeaux with cuttings of local grapes (, and ) and planted them, together with Spain’s signature grape Tinto Fino (aka ) in the arid Ribera soils.

The begun building its formidable reputation after 1903 under the ownership of Antonio Herrero, winning a number of awards at home and overseas. The estate changed hands several more times before its acquisition by the current owners, the Álvarez family, in 1982.

The estate’s success is founded on its meticulous approach. In the it applies low yields, aided by green harvesting and painstaking selection at . In the winery, are aged in any number of receptacles – using French and American, new and old , small barrels or huge vats – to engender further complexity. Despite prolonged barrel ageing, the fruit is never dried out or overly oaky – compelling evidence of the superb quality of its raw materials.

The Vega Sicilia range includes three cuvées: Único (literally translating as “unique”) is the flagship and their “entry-level” offering Valbuena 5° (an expression of Tinto Fino aged for five years, hence the “5°”). The top two wines are a blend of Tinto Fino with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and/ or Merlot, depending on the . They are both aged for approximately 10 years prior to release, normally spending six of those in barrel and three in bottle.

This illustrious property laid the founding stone for Ribera del Duero, which is now acknowledged to be one of the best wine regions in Spain.

Vega Sicilia has now built up a portfolio which includes Bodegas Alion (providing a more modern expression of Ribera del Duero), Bodegas Pintia (in the emerging region Toro), Macán (a partnership with Benjamin de Rothschild) and the Hungarian Tokaji estate, Oremus.