Winemaker Notes
The Unico Tinto is the Vega Sicilia flagship. The qualities of the Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon in different proportions are assembled to perfection in this wine. 2010 is a powerful, concentrated and ample vintage. Vega Sicilia Unico 2010 gains nuances, given sufficient time to open. A wine to enjoy long-term.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is still very tight and closed with so much depth and beauty. The linear line to this is very vertical and draws you down. It shows intense blackberry, dark-chocolate, hazelnut and walnut character. Full body. Chewy yet extremely polished. Precise. Shows decadence.
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Decanter
Unico is Tinto Fino, with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, in contrast to Valbuena No.5, which has a small dash of Merlot. It opens with alluring aromas of dark plums, spice and oak. As expected, it's powerful, intense and very long, but within that you can note the very fine tannins, the result of the assiduous attention to ageing in different types and sizes of vats over the years. There's an element of tobacco smoke, of black fruits, of the dark plums promised in the aromas, the whole beautifully integrated. A vintage and a wine that's hard to better. This has 25 to 30 years ahead of it, but you could also enjoy it within a few years - that's the essence of Vega Sicilia, its interplay of youth and ageability.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I've always liked the 2010 Único, and this magnum didn't disappoint me. It was a very good and complete year. The wine is still young and lively, but the primary aromas are starting to fade and the tertiary ones are coming out. This is a very elegant vintage of Único. 3,362 magnums were filled in June 2016. Artwork by Eduardo Naranjo.
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Wine Spectator
This red is dense, balanced and complex. Plum, dried currant, cigar box, leather and mineral flavors mingle over ripe, well-integrated tannins. Orange peel acidity keeps this lively through the long, floral finish. Harmonious and graceful, in a classic style. Tinto Fino and Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Wine & Spirits
As meaty and gamey as dry-aged filet mignon, this is a complex and sophisticated vintage of Unico. It grows in parcels of old vines rising up a north-facing hillside, the soil flecked with gypsum that has crystalized, glinting amidst the layers of limestone and clay. The wine itself layers cranberry, fig and black-mushroom flavors into its sleek richness and power while the structure remains tight as a drum, even at ten years of age. Built for the long haul.
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.