…Vega Sicilia, gave a fabulous tutored tasting of his wines including the Vega Sicilia Unico 1981, 1994, and 2004 along with the Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial made from the three best years: 1990, 1996, and 1999.
We also had a chance to try the Valbuena 1998 and 2008.
What was interesting about this tasting is that the "aged" wines showed so very young. The color was rich garnet, and quite intense, with very little fading at the rims. If anything, the power and intensity …
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There is an aura surrounding Unico, Spain's most aristocratic vinous offering. Unico is the flagship cuvée from Vega Sicilia and perhaps the most iconic Spanish wine available worldwide. An invitation arose to taste 26 vintages of Unico at The Square, Mayfair in a ‘vertical' comparison with wines dating back from 1920 to their youngest barrel sample, 2005. This generous opportunity allowed me to witness the scope and style through the decades from this infamous property: what a tasting it proved to be!
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…Vega Sicilia in stock at the moment as well, including one bottle of the 2000 " Unico", below:
2000 Vega Sicilia " Unico" Ribera del Duero ($349.99)
98 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2000 Unico is deep crimson-colored with an ethereal perfume aided by its extended upbringing. Aromas of Asian spices, lavender, incense, truffle, and confiture of black fruits are compelling. Sweet, forward, rich, and hedonistic, it nevertheless …
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Following in its tradition of continually evolving the landscape of Tequila, Milagro Tequila today announced its latest product innovation, as it launches UNICO, a super premium, limited edition micro distilled joven blend. Available nationwide in extremely limited quantities, UNICO promises to...
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…Unico" and the Tinto Valbuena 5° Cosecha 2006 . What an opportunity. The Unico is only produced in choice years and then released after a minimum of ten years aging - in this case twelve years. The Valbuena brand is crafted during non-Unico years after 5 years' aging. This explains the "5°" part of the name. These are serious wines at serious prices. And way out of my league in terms of coinage and sophistication. Theses wines are full bodied monsters, but simultaneously …
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…Valbuena wines are from vines between 10 and 35 years old, while the Unico is made from vines between 35 and 60 years. The wines go through malolactic fermentation and then rest for a year in the oak vats. The Valbuena wines are then aged for three and a half years in smaller oak casks, while the Unico are aged seven years.
However, the selective nature of Vega Sicilia goes beyond a prolonged aging process. They carefully monitor the wines, particularly the Unico, before they are …
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Nevertheless, Vega Scilia is legendary. Their top wine, Unico, is insanely prized and expensive, produced only in certain years when the winery feels the quality is high enough. Valbuena then is a "second wine," but second only in a sense. Valbuena itself is prized by collectors around the world and the quality of the wine speaks for itself. Tasting this 2001, I can't see how this isn't top quality. How does wine like this, of both name and quality, sit in a distributor's …
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…tasting like this one. The first fermentation for Valbuena occurs in steel,but oak for Unico. The Valbuena's malolactic fermentation takes place in cement vats, the Unico in oak. The Valbuena rests in wood for three and a half years, the Unico a minimum of seven. Unico rests in bottle for at least three more years before release, the Valbuena a minimum of one and a half.
So, you get a prettier, mildly sweet black cherry nose from the Valbuena, with hints of charcoal, …
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Pedigree is the main argument for not tasting wines blind. For instance, if you taste Unico next to a whole lineup of similarly highly-rated wines (see my previous post on the Penin tasting ), I'll forgive you for thinking Unico is slim, ready-to-drink (almost as if it was on the downward slope of maturity), unimpressive and unexciting. Indeed, these were my immediate reactions to it. But, knowing that it is Vega-Sicilia, this has to be offset by the irrefutable fact that Unico…
…Surely, some of the world's high-profile wine tasters must shift the goalposts when it comes to Unico? Anyway, I really liked their Pintia, Toro, 2008 Nose: touch of sweet fruit, spicy, deep and heathery. Palate: very dry but with nice, spicy fruit and chewy tannins. It wont be released for another couple of years but hopefully that should give that dryness time to melt away a bit.
Clos Mogador, Priorat
Winemaker and boss Réné Barbier is a big teddy bear. Bearded, …
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