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2003 Único, Vega Sicilia, Ribera del Duero, Spain

  • Red
  • Dry
  • Full Bodied
  • Tempranillo
Ready, but will improve
Luis Gutiérrez
94/100
Product: 20038004745
2003 Único, Vega Sicilia, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Description

I enjoyed the enticing aromas that escaped the glass long before tasting the 2003 Unico. It seems almost criminal to open a bottle at this point as Unico needs at least two decades of ageing (a decade at Vega and a decade in the cellar). Dense, irresitable, with layers of herbs de provance, linear black fruit and a minty freshness. The lace-like finesse is surprising considering the heat of the vintage and the finish lasted 45+ seconds.

Unico (meaning ‘Unique’) is the signature wine of the estate and only released in outstanding vintages. Produced in 2003 with 92% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon the wine is matured for 25 months in old wooden vats, followed by 17 months in new barrels, 10 months in semi-new barrels and 22 months in large wooden vats. For the remainder of the time it is aged in bottle and nearly released 10 years after the vintage. Its fine silky structure caresses the palate, while continuing to give a nuanced array of delicate flavours; fragrant roses, black earthy notes, soft blackberries, white pepper are all framed by a gentle freshness.

Vega Sicilia, Spain’s ‘first growth’ and most prestigious wine estate, was founded in 1864 by Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, who arrived from Bordeaux with cuttings of local grapes and planted them, together with Spain’s signature grape Tinto Fino (Tempranillo). Vega Sicilia has founded its success on its meticulous wine-producing practices; in the vineyard it applies low yields, aided by green harvesting and a painstaking grape selection.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2003
Alcohol % 14
Maturity Ready, but will improve
Grape List Tempranillo
Body Full Bodied
Producer Vega Sicilia

Critics reviews

Luis Gutiérrez 94/100
Vega Sicilias 2003 Unico, mainly Tempranillo with a balancing 8% of Cabernet Sauvignon, was aged in wood for nearly seven years before being bottled, starting with 15 months in large oak vats, followed by 25 months in new barriques, before being transferred to used ones for another 17 months and ending its elevage with a further 22 months in those large wood vats again. As I uncork the bottle, the aroma reminds me of a classical Tempranillo, with some dill notes from the American oak and a minty hint from the Cabernet. It actually makes me think of traditional Rioja, believe it or not. The wine doesnt show the heat of the vintage, and manages to transmit a general sensation of balance and finesse that is quite remarkable for the characteristics of the year. The aim here was to avoid the confited and raisiny notes of the fruit and the spirity character so common in that vintage. It starts off slightly lactic, with notes of cafe au lait, coconut and cola. With a bit of time, it turns more flowery and shows more red fruit. It is very aromatic, with plenty dry herbs, thyme and rosemary, even pine nuts, a bit of resin and some cured meat, and overall has a very complex nose. The mouth is a little more transparent toward the heat of the vintage, it is powerful and full-bodied, but manages to keep freshness. The minty note is there, with some hints of chalk that make it very tasty. It feels briary and opulent. A success over the vintage conditions, it already shows some signs of complexity, which points at an approachable Unico. Even though it can be drunk now, it will get more polished and integrated with a few years in bottle. 76,050 bottles and 2,616 magnums were filled (on the low-ish side for Unico), but the magnums will be sold later; they are currently offering 2000 in magnum and 1999 in double-magnum. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023.Luis Gutirrez - 28/06/2013
Drink 2013 - 2023
Luis Gutiérrez, RobertParker.com (Jun 2013)

About this wine

Tempranillo/Tinto Fino

A high quality red wine grape that is grown all over Spain except in the hot South - it is known as Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero, Cencibel in La Mancha and Valdepenas and Ull de Llebre in Catalonia. Its spiritual home is in Rioja and Navarra where it constitutes around 70% of most red blends.
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Vega Sicilia

Vega Sicilia, Spain's “first growth” and most prestigious wine estate, is located in Ribera del Duero. It was founded in 1864 by Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, who arrived from Bordeaux with cuttings of local grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec) and planted them, together with Spain’s signature grape Tinto Fino (aka Tempranillo) in the arid Ribera soils. The winery begun building its formidable reputation after 1903 under the ownership of Antonio Herrero, winning a number of awards at home and overseas. The estate changed hands several more times before its acquisition by the current owners, the Álvarez family, in 1982. The estate’s success is founded on its meticulous approach. In the vineyard it applies low yields, aided by green harvesting and painstaking selection at harvest. In the winery, wines are aged in any number of receptacles – using French and American, new and old oak, small barrels or huge vats – to engender further complexity. Despite prolonged barrel ageing, the fruit is never dried out or overly oaky – compelling evidence of the superb quality of its raw materials. The Vega Sicilia range includes three cuvées: Único (literally translating as “unique”) is the flagship, followed by Único Reserva Especial (a multi-vintage blend) and their “entry-level” offering Valbuena 5° (an expression of Tinto Fino aged for five years, hence the “5°”). The top two wines are a blend of Tinto Fino with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot, depending on the vintage. They are both aged for approximately 10 years prior to release, normally spending six of those in barrel and three in bottle. This illustrious property laid the founding stone for Ribera del Duero, which is now acknowledged to be one of the best wine regions in Spain. Vega Sicilia has now built up a portfolio which includes Bodegas Alion (providing a more modern expression of Ribera del Duero),  Bodegas Pintia (in the emerging region  Toro), Macán (a partnership with Benjamin de Rothschild) and the Hungarian Tokaji estate, Oremus.
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