Description
Vega Sicilia - Unico, Ribera del Duero 2010 75cl
Winery: Vega Sicilia
Grape Variety: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Ribera del Duero, Spain
Alcohol Content: 14.5%
Food Pairing: Beef, Lamb, Veal, Poultry
Description: Vega Sicilia was founded in 1964 by Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, a Spanish winemaker who was trained in the Bordeaux wine region of France. When he returned to his homeland of Castile, Don Eloy Lecanda brought with him several Bordeaux grape varieties. In the 20th century, Vega Sicilia earned a reputation as being one of the most notable wines in Spain. In fact Vega Sicilia’s wines are recognised worldwide as some of the finest and most valued red wines on the world wine market.
Tasting Notes
I was surprised by the aromatics of the 2010 Unico, cropped from a powerful and concentrated year that delivered this blend of 94% Tinto Fino (aka Tempranillo) and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 14.5% alcohol and a highish pH of 3.87. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in a combination of French and American oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats and aged for almost six years. It feels quite ripe and somehow old style, dominated by ripe black fruit, with a rustic and earthy touch. It has an ample palate, concentrated and powerful, with some earthy tannins. 85,185 bottles, 3,362 magnums, 228 double magnums and 36 Imperials were produced. It was bottled in June 2016. [97 Points , Luis Gutierrez – December 2019, roberparker.com]