2009 Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera del Duero 750 ml

This is a world-class icon that is notoriously hard to get—the British Embassy once tried to secure enough Único for a royal dinner for Queen Elizabeth II herself, but she was granted just four cases from the winery. And this dual 98-point 2009, direct from the Vega Sicilia cellars, is a must-have for any serious collector. 

There might be no wine more painstakingly made, patiently cellared, and passionately sought-after than Vega Sicilia’s Único, which has been a massive hit with the Wine Access members who have called this Spanish standard-bearer “among the best of the best.”

That’s because Único stands with the Bordeaux First Growths in quality, tops them in rarity (it’s only made in exceptional vintages), and when you compare it to 2009 Médoc wines that earned similar scores—like 98-point Margaux at $1,394 and 97-point Lafite at $1,423—it’s clear that it delivers incredible value. 

While this could age for another 30 years, opening it now will reveal the experience of a lifetime: It’s a deep, opaque ruby at the core, leading to bright magenta at the rim. Layered and complex with tons of robust fruit power interacting beautifully with dried herbs and tobacco, this is a long-living, long-finishing wine to savor.  

Crafted from 94% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Único was sourced from low-yielding 60-65-year-old vines. It spent six years in oak barrels before being bottled in 2015, and has since rested for six years in the cellars. In his 98-point review, James Suckling was effusive about the wine’s “natural freshness and effortless power,” calling those traits “a hallmark of Único!”