Winemaker Notes
A true testimony to the history of Spanish wine, Unico Reserva Especial perfectly combines the qualities of the different Unico vintages. Only the best Unico vintages are selected to make this iconic and exceptionally complex wine, which blends years, virtues, experiences and emotions to create the essence of a unique and inimitable style, the Vega Sicilia style.
Unico Reserva Especial 2024 is a blend of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 vintages.
Blend: 95% Tinto Fino, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The NV Único Reserva Especial 2024 Release was produced with a blend of wines from 2010, 2011 and 2012, not that far from the previous release, which was from 2009, 2011 and 2012, as they are slowly trying to increase the average age of the wine. As I've seen in the last few years, they look for a house style from yesteryear, combining more developed characteristics with elegance and freshness. This blend of Tinto Fino with some Cabernet Sauvignon is also lower in alcohol, 14%, with a pH of 3.85 and 5.1 grams of acidity. The color denotes some evolution with a faint orange around the rim. The nose is complex and elegant, a more developed version of the 2014 Único that I tasted next to it, with truffle, forest floor, ripe black fruit, sweet spices, leather and meat. The palate feels quite polished, with a superb texture, sleek and elegant, with very fine tannins, subtle bitterness and a long and lingering taste. This is a superb blending exercise.
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Vinous
The NV Unico Reserva Especial, to be released in 2024, combines vintages from 2010, 2011 and 2012, all sourced from the Vega Sicilia property in Ribera del Duero. A dark garnet-red in color. The aromas offer notes of dark fruit, undergrowth and herbs complemented by pitch and tar against a backdrop of cedar. On the palate, it's dry and velvety with a juicy, mellow character revitalized by a refreshing gust of pine at the back of the throat. This is a complex, subtly nuanced Ribera del Duero wine.
Notoriously food-friendly, long-lasting and Spain’s most widely planted grape, Tempranillo is the star variety of red wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. The Rioja terms Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva indicate both barrel and bottle time before release. Traditionally blended in Rioja with Garnacha, plus a bit of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano, the Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero typically stands alone. Somm Secret—Tempranillo claims many different names depending on location. In Penedès, it is called Ull de Llebre and in Valdepeñas, goes by Cencibel. Known as Tinta Roriz in Portugal, Tempranillo plays an important role in Port wine.
Ribera del Duero, Spanish wine region, is located in northen Spain’s Castilla y León region, just a 2-hour drive from Madrid. While winemaking in this area goes back more than 2000 years, it was in the 1980s that 9 wineries applied for and were granted Denominación de Origen (D.O.) status. Today, more than 300 wineries call Ribera del Duero home, including some of Spain’s most iconic names.
Notable Facts Ribera’s main grape variety, Tempranillo, locally know as Tinto Fino, is perfectly suited to the extreme climate of the region, where it must survive scorching summers and frigid winters. Low yields resulting from conscientious tending to old vines planted in Ribera’s diverse soils types, give Ribera wines a distinctive depth and complexity not found in other Tempranillos. Rich and full-bodied, the spice, dark fruit and smoky flavors in a bold Ribera del Duero will pair well with roasted and grilled meats, Mexican food and tomato-based sauces.