Vega Sicilia "Unico" Ribera del Duero DO 2016
(Castilla Leon, Spain) - [WA 99] [JS 98] [WS 97]

About the Winery:
Founded in 1864 in Ribera Del Duero, Vega Sicilia is a widely regarded as one of the greatest wine producer in the world. Celebrated for its fusion of tradition and modernity, the estate embodies the values of excellence, patience and respect for the land where its extraordinary wines come from.

Adopted by the Álvarez family in 1982, the winery is committed to sustainable practices and environmental stewardship. With a focus on the Tempranillo grape, locally known as “tinto fino,” Vega Sicilia’s vineyards span 250 hectares, cultivating vines that are a minimum of 10 years old on schistous bedrock and chalk-based topsoil. The winery takes pride in its patient approach to winemaking, allowing some labels to age over 10 years, and boasts a state-of-the-art facility that adheres to international environmental standards, including advanced recycling and repurposing practices.

Notes from the Winemaker: 
Of the almost 1,000 hectares that make up the Vega Sicilia estate, 210 are allocated to the cultivation of vines, with nineteen different types of soil and fifty-five plots with very specific features. In the extraordinary management of these soils, the influence of the course of the Douro River and the passage of time have been crucial.

Forty of these hectares are used to produce Unico, which is aged for a minimum of ten years between barrel and bottle, one of the longest ageing processes in the world. We use French and American oak in new and used 225-litre barrels and 22,000-litre vats. A long and complex construction of the wines, but at the same time simply marvellous, in which they gain a myriad of nuances, precise texture and wonderful depth over time. Thanks to this incredible terroir and unique ageing process, our wines become eternal when they age.

99 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:

"The 2016 Único was perfumed and elegant, showcasing a very good vintage in the region. Winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga started in 2015—a powerful year—and he remembers 2016 as a very balanced year, with higher yields and finer-boned wines. The winter was mild, and there was a cooler than average spring and a warm summer. September was dry, which provided healthy grapes and balanced ripening. The harvest started the 22nd of September and finished the 11th of October. The bottled wine is 96% Tinto Fino and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.82 and 4.8 grams of acidity. It has the old Vega perfume, intoxicating, complex and nuanced, full of personality and a very energetic palate, vibrant and fresh, not lacking power but with lots of elegance. The wine is released 10 years after the harvest, combining time in new and used American and French oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats, and it obviously spends plenty of time in bottle. This is a monumental vintage of Único. 2027-2046."

98 Points - James Suckling:
A beautifully poised Vega that is already approachable. Everything is in harmony, showing an almost ethereal quality in contrast to the denser 2015 vintage. There’s a hint of minerality paired with the blackberries and dark cherries. The tannins are firm yet softened. Medium to full body and a finish that lingers for a minute. Drink or hold.

97 Points - Wine Spectator:
A dense and harmonious red, offering a complex and finely meshed range of plumped black cherry and crème de cassis flavors layered with cigar box, licorice root, cocoa powder, leather and mineral accents. The palate’s plush texture is wrapped around a structured core of fine-grained tannins, while the bright tang of orange peel–infused acidity provides fresh focus. Long and graceful, this expands beautifully on the finish. Tinto Fino and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2046. 7,700 cases made, 300 cases imported.