Vega Sicilia | Unico Reserva Especial 2022 Release (’08, ’10, ’11) – NV

Detailed Description

Sweet-berry, walnut, licorice and violet aromas that follow through to a full body with round, chewy tannins that are polished and beautiful. Notes of iron, too. The tannins are broad and mouth filling, giving a caressing and exciting texture on the palate.

Reviews:

• Decanter: The Unico Reserva Seleccion Especial has become a cult, and no wonder. As Pablo Alvarez says: ‘It’s the most Vega Sicilia of them all.’ The 2022 release, a blend of the complexity of 2008, the structure of 2010 and the freshness of 2011 is far more than the sum of its parts. Floral with red apples and roses on the nose. In the mouth a firm grip, juicy, textured, a wine that is comfortably settled into itself. Not a very technical tasting note perhaps, but accurate: thoroughly enjoyable.

• James Suckling: Sweet-berry, walnut, licorice and violet aromas that follow through to a full body with round, chewy tannins that are polished and beautiful. Notes of iron, too. The tannins are broad and mouth filling, giving a caressing and exciting texture on the palate. If you give this a year to two to soften, it will deliver even greater richness and flavor. A blend of 2008, 2010 and 2011. Great after 2023.

Producer Information

Vega Sicilia is widely regarded as the greatest wine producer in Spain. The estate in Ribera del Duero is known for its dense, complex red wines made principally from the Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) grape variety. Its top wine, Unico, is one of Spain’s most expensive and sought-after wines. The Vega Sicilia estate covers around 1000 hectares (2470 acres) of which around 210ha (520 acres) is under vine. It has been in operation since 1864, long before the development of the appellation in which it resides, and the current wine styles date from the 1910s. Quality has become more consistent since the current owners, the Alvarez family, took over in 1982. The vineyards are planted to around 80 percent Tempranillo with the remainder taken up by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and tiny amounts of Malbec. Yields are kept low, aided by green harvesting and painstaking grape selection. Winery operations are just as meticulous, with a complicated series of rackings from large barrels to barriques, mixing old and new oak and leading to wines that are capable of long aging.