2014 Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera del Duero 750 ml

Retail: $706
$435	38% off	per bottle

quantity: 1

Shipping included.

99 pts

Tim Atkin

The 2014 Unico is the second wine in a row from a cooler, so-called Atlantic year although. The harvest was considerably less wet than 2013. Sourced from the best 40 hectares on the Vega Sicilia estate, covering a total of 30 parcels, this is a stunningly floral, complete, layered Tinto Fino with lily, wild rose and mountain herb aromas, subtle French and 25% American oak, some added backbone from 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and a palate of bramble, black cherry, Asian spices and tobacco embellished and freshened by a bright, chalky finish.

98 pts

Wine Advocate

The 2014 Único was produced with grapes from 40 hectares of vines selected from the 210 hectares the winery has. The grapes were picked between September 20th and October 3rd, and the blend was 94% Tinto Fino and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, with malolactic in stainless steel. The first part of the aging was in 225-liter barrels and the second one in 20,000-liter oak vats, and the élevage lasts 10 years between oak and bottle. It's a year that combines power and elegance; it's concentrated but has subtleness. I had a unique opportunity to taste it from magnum one year ago and was truly impressed. This tasting was consistent with those sensations. 2014 was a good vintage in the zone, a year with good rain and a big crop, not as powerful as 2012 or 2015 but a year with finesse. The wine feels very balanced, lower in alcohol and with integrated oak, crunchy, fresh and still young. It feels quite classical; it's fine-boned, elegant but also powerful, more like the Únicos from yesteryear. It has to be one of the finest vintages of recent times.

98 pts

James Suckling

A refined, ethereal and elegant Unico. Streamlined layers of mixed peppercorns, smoked paprika, blackberries and spiced dark fruit. Hints of orange zest and flowers. Spicy, with tightly wound tannins. The length is impressive. 94% tempranillo and 6% cabernet sauvignon. Tasted from magnum. Coming along nicely. Try on release in 2026 or after.

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Painstaking, Patient, and Peerless

There might be no wine more painstakingly made, patiently cellared, and passionately sought after than Vega Sicilia’s Único.

Eminent critic Hugh Johnson said “Vega Sicilia is the Latour” of Spain, and their collectible Único has earned a place alongside Grand Cru Burgundy, First Growth Bordeaux, and the cult Cabernets of Napa.

Único is an investment-grade wine that tends to appreciate in value, and the 2014—aged an incredible ten years in barrel, oak vat, and bottle—is one of the greatest bottlings this century. Master of Wine Tim Atkin gave it a 99-point score, while James Suckling and Wine Advocate added 98, the latter calling it “one of the finest vintages of recent times.”

The rare nature of Único can be summed up in one anecdote: The British Embassy once tried to secure enough for a royal dinner for Queen Elizabeth II herself. They were granted just four cases from the winery.

Released at a price that delivers phenomenal value when compared with the only wines on an equal footing with Vega Sicilia—Bordeaux’s First-Growths and well-known cult Napa Cabs—the 2014 edition comprises 94% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon grown on vines averaging over 33 years of age. It aged for ten years, a process that started in French and American oak barrels, progressed to oak vats that hold 22,000 liters, then to bottle.

Único is a must-experience bottle for anyone interested in the world’s great wines, and the 2014 is a stunner that will pay off with loads of pleasure, whether you indulge now or hold it for the future.

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2014 Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera del Duero quantity: 1