Monopole Celebrates Vega Sicilia’s 160th Anniversary in Singapore

Singapore: 12 September 2024, Thursday

Monopole is proud to host a grand celebration of Vega Sicilia’s 160th anniversary, marking a momentous occasion for Spain's most iconic wine estate.

Celebrating Excellence:
160 years of Vega Sicilia

Monopole has proudly served as the exclusive distributor of Vega Sicilia in Singapore, a testament to a partnership built on shared values of excellence and tradition. As we commemorate this enduring collaboration and the extraordinary 160-year legacy of Vega Sicilia, we warmly invite our esteemed trade customers, VIPs, and media to celebrate with us.

Vega Sicilia stands as the crown jewel of Spanish wines, revered for its its unparalleled commitment to tradition and craftsmanship in winemaking, with a history stretching back to 1864. CEO Pablo Álvarez aptly describes the estate as "160 years young," with a resolute commitment to enhancing the estate’s quality for the next 160 years. Known for their patience, Vega Sicilia masters the art of aging wines, often holding vintages for decades before release—such as the Unico 1968 vintage, aged for 23 years before its 1991 release.

The origins of the name Vega Sicilia remain shrouded in history, yet its meaning is clear. "Vega" refers to the verdant landscape along the Duero River, where the estate is nestled, while "Sicilia" honours Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music. This harmony extends to the winemaking, where precision and perfection guide every step. Under the leadership of Pablo Álvarez, the estate has become a paragon of state-of-the-art winemaking, with cutting-edge innovations like the stainless-steel elevator tanks, designed to harness gravity for a gentle transfer of wine.

Sustainability is woven into the very fabric of Vega Sicilia's operations, a commitment to preserving the land for future generations. Having achieved organic certification in 2023, the estate has shunned herbicides and chemical fertilizers for over 30 years. Extensive tree planting initiatives further reduce the estate's carbon footprint. Over two decades, 500,000 oak trees, 60,000 cork oaks, and 10,000 walnut trees have been planted with plans to use estate-grown corks in the future.

Vega Sicilia’s wines are treasures meant to be savoured, enjoyed today or after decades of careful aging. This is wine for those who understand that true luxury lies in patience and dedication.

160th Anniversary Wine Dinner

This exclusive event will feature a 4-course wine pairing dinner at The Mandala Club, showcasing 7 exceptional wines from Vega Sicilia. Among them are the ground-breaking Tempos Vega Sicilia Tokaj-Oremus Mandolàs and Petrács, which highlight the Álvarez family's 30-year legacy in the Tokaj region of Hungary. The family’s dedication to Tokaj has elevated the reputation of its sweet wines while pioneering a new wave of dry wines. Both Mandolàs and Petrács, single-vineyard expressions of the Furmint grape, demonstrate the unique versatility and rich nuances that this variety can offer.

Guests will also be treated to the iconic Valbuena 5°, and the flagship Unico, which epitomizes Vega Sicilia's meticulous craftsmanship. These wines, known for their patience in aging, showcase the estate's commitment to quality, with bottles often held for decades before release.

Tempos Vega Sicilia wines for pairing

Welcome drink:
Tempos Vega Sicilia Tokaj-Oremus Mandolas 2020

Mandolás is a surprising wine. Its essence is young, ground-breaking, revolutionary and not frightened to explore... and is able to enrich the winemaking tradition of a region as distinguished as Tokaj. A different wine that has managed to break from the past, giving impetus to Tokaj's new present, where dry white wines, led by Mandolás, are proving to be ground-breaking. This wine's name comes from the old way of referring to the vineyard from where it comes. Mandolás is one of the Oremus vineyards and it is only planted with Furmint, the noblest variety of the region.

https://www.temposvegasicilia.com/en/wine/238/oremus-mandolas

1st Course:
Tempos Vega Sicilia Tokaj-Oremus Petracs 2019

Ethereal yet determined. Its opulence and structure promise long development. A "grand vin" that expresses the particularly captivating face of Furmint as it reflects the uniqueness of the terroir. From the Petrács vineyard where not only semi-precious gems adorn the ground everywhere, but quite exceptional wines are born under caring, competent hands.

https://www.temposvegasicilia.com/en/wine/243/oremus-petracs/2019

2nd Course:
Tempos Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5° 2018
Tempos Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5° 2001

Valbuena 5° is the third bottling produced by Vega Sicilia. This wine is made with predominantly mostly of Tempranillo with a little Cabernet Sauvignon and of Merlot added and then aged for two years in both French and American oak. The wine is aged for aged for five years between barrel and bottle before release, hence the name 5°, and has the potential to be aged for 20 to 30 years.

https://www.temposvegasicilia.com/en/wine/236/valbuena-5/2018

3rd Course:
Tempos Vega Sicilia Unico 2013
Tempos Vega Sicilia Unico 2003

Unico is the flagship wine of Vega Sicilia. It is aptly named, as Unico translates to “unique” or “the only one” and this is in fact a very unique wine. It is a wine that is only made in great vintages. It is a wine served at royal functions. It is a wine considered by some to be like a “first growth” from Spain.
Unico is made from at least 80 90 percent of Tempranillo with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is aged in large and small American and French oak barrels for as much as six years and then spends three years the rest in the bottle. Unico is not released until at least ten years after the vintage, and sometimes longer.

https://www.temposvegasicilia.com/en/wine/234/unico/2013

https://www.temposvegasicilia.com/en/wine/234/unico/2003

Dessert:
Tempos Vega Sicilia Tokaj-Oremus ASZU 5 Puttonyos 2000

The Aszú wines are the differentiating factor of this family of great wines. They combine tradition, innovation and excellence, and become sublime wines with their roots in a unique terroir.

Oremus is the symbol and example of the rewarding of time, experience and knowledge, of the real expertise in the art of wine.

The production of the Aszú wine (wine of tears) is a meticulous process, which requires great patience and extensive know-how. It is only possible in good vintages, when nature brings rain at the end of the summer and sun and wind in early autumn, which are the essential conditions for the process for noble berries to from. The berries swollen due to the humidity split and the "Botrytis cinérea" establishes in its skin and creates the noble rot.

https://www.temposvegasicilia.com/en/wine/241/oremus-aszu-5/2000

By Invitation Only

Taking place at The Mandala Club, this exclusive event offers not only an extraordinary wine and culinary experience but also the rare opportunity to meet Vega Sicilia’s General Manager Alberto Álvarez and Regional Manager César Román.

01.

Vineyard high resolution photos can be downloaded from the Vega Sicilia website:

https://www.temposvegasicilia.com/en/gallery/8/vega-sicilia-vioedo

02.

More information on Vega Sicilia can be found on:

https://www.temposvegasicilia.com/en/presentation/corporate-information/business-group

Monopole Celebrates Vega Sicilia’s 160th Anniversary in Singapore

Celebrating Excellence: 160 years of Vega Sicilia

Tempos Vega Sicilia wines for pairing

Welcome drink: Tempos Vega Sicilia Tokaj-Oremus Mandolas 2020

1st Course: Tempos Vega Sicilia Tokaj-Oremus Petracs 2019

2nd Course: Tempos Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5° 2018 Tempos Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5° 2001

3rd Course: Tempos Vega Sicilia Unico 2013 Tempos Vega Sicilia Unico 2003