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  • Country ranking ?

    132
  • Producer ranking ?

    45
  • Decanting time

    1h30min
  • When to drink

    now to 2025
  • Food Pairing

    Hay-baked rack of lamb “en cocotte”

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1957 Unico Bodegas Vega Sicilia (Ribera del Duero) / In Ribera del Duero the weather conditions during 1957 were normal. The winter was fairly cold with average rainfall. There was an early, dry spring and long and burning summer with only a small amount of rain. Mild and dry autumn weather existed during the harvest.
In Bodegas Vega Sicilia they produced 25.500 bottles, which were commercialized in the early seventies.
In 1957 they only used two varieties of grape to blend Unico: Tinto Fino 80% and Cabernet Sauvignon 20%.
I purchaced this 1957 with a 1960 vintage from Australia, and both bottles were in excellent condition regardless of their long journey to Helsinki.

The level was by the neck. Decanted two hours. Fine looking, dark and mature colour. Sound, fragrant, tobacco and leathery bouquet. Fresh and youthful on the palate and has much better balance and fruit than any 1957 Bordeaux. Almost a too sturdy and hard wine, it might even need more time in the bottle. Very vigorous and high in acidity. Even so it was an elegant and complex wine with a long and promising future ahead of it. Very enjoyable now, but might be even better after few more years.

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The Story

Of the 1,000 hectares making up the Vega Sicilia estate, 210 are used for wine growing, and there are 19 soil-types divided for management purposes into 52 plots with very specific characteristics. The influence of the flow of the river Duero and the passage of time have been vital in forming these soils.

70 of these hectares are employed to produce Unico. A unique, magical estate which, along with extraordinary management of the vineyard, enables the production of legendary wines.

The Unico ageing process is probably the world's longest, since it runs for at least ten years from the barrel to the bottle. 225-litre barrels of French and American wood, both new and used, and 20,000-litre tanks. A long complex process for a great wine.

The flagship wine Unico is a wine for all eternity. Only a handful of terroirs worldwide are able to match wine's extraordinary ageing capacity. This is a wine of inimitable style, mature, tremendously elegant and silky, in which the ageing process brings the mystique of the essence to the surface.

The qualities of the Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon in different proportions are assembled to perfection in this wine. Each provides a differentiating factor that makes the wine great in every vintage.

The vines are grown on plots where the land is located at the point between the slopes down from the wasteland and the alluvial plain. The soil nearest the surface is made out of fine colluvial deposits from the hillside with small fragment of limestone. There is abundant quartz gravel deeper down in a sandy main soil. There are many angular limestone boulders on the surface.

Red wine made in controlled fermentation using native yeast in wooden tanks. Malolactic fermentation also takes place in wood.  After its fermentation, its goes through what is probably the world's longest ageing of a red wine, almost 10 years between wood and bottle. The different stages take place in different types of barrel: American and French wood, new and used 225-litre barrels, 20,000-litre vats, each batch is what determines the type of wood and the time spent in each container. After the stage in the wood, it is aged in the bottle to complete a long and complex ageing process. It will normally spend 6 years in wood and three in the bottle.

The different elements in its preparation are fine-tuned in the search of the master line that has guided the wine. Único remains true to a clear and well-defined style, with an inimitable character and style; elegance, strength, ageing capacity... A unique and timeless taste that has elevated it to among the aristocracy of the great classic wines.

It offers an infinite complexity that is gradually revealed, in every sip, the palate immensely silky and elegant, and has an ageing capacity that only a handful of wines in the world can claim.

Bodegas Vega Sicilia Unico is still “a prophet in its own land”, Spain, and only a small part of the production leaves the country to be sold abroad. The production of Unico varies from 30.000 to 100.000 bottles depending on the year. The commercial success of Unico is nevertheless decided beforehand regardless of the amount produced, since each vintage is already sold out before the bottling. Yet 700 people are queuing for Unico´s customer list hoping that some of the customers of long standing would give up their place, or forget to order anything for two years, which automatically drops them from the list. The list of the privileged subscribers does not exceed 4,000, and they naturally remain anonymous. Pablo Alvarez, manager of Vega Sicilia, is conscientious when it comes to impartiality towards long standing loyal customers, even though the balance between the company´s firm commercial policy and influential quarters wanting wines outside its customer list is not always easy to maintain.

For example, when Queen Elizabeth II visited Spain a few years ago, the British Embassy wanted Vega Sicilia to represent Spain´s wine tradition at the dinner arranged to honour the Queen. Although the order had been duly placed and at decent notice, the estate was able to deliver only four cases for the dinner, of course with all manner of apologies for not having been able to meet the order in full.
Respecting loyal customers has been a matter of tremendous importance for Bodegas Vega Sicilia throughout its history. When Jesús Anadón was the estate steward the United States´ importer paid a visit and told him that in his faraway homeland the demand was more than 200.000 bottles. As he determinedly insisted that his order be multiplied, the inimitable Jesús stated without blinking an eye that the limit was 500 bottles and no more, and this was his last word.

Unico is a unique wine, and one of the great Spanish classics. It is the signature wine of Vega Sicilia and is taken from some of the oldest vines available. The wine is mostly Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon.
– The Unico wine is produced only in exceptional years, that is, in the course of one decade two or three vintages are "sacrificed" in order to maintain the high quality. It is right that the effect of the harvest is present in each wine: then the -81, -74, -75, -66. -65 and -62 are Unicos in aromatical complexity reaching baroque extremes and the -70, -89, -62, -42 and -22 ones are based on the tannic power reaching to be perpetual wine” , said Mr. Alvarez to me when we asked his personal opinion best vintages of Unicos

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Wine Information

VEGA SICILIA “UNICO” 1957 /Considering the different varieties of grape used in its composition, the most approximate percentage of each of them in this vintage is given below:

TINTO FINO: 80%
CABERNET SAUVIGNON: 20%

CLIMATOLOGY;

WINTER: Average pluviometry, moderate temperatures.
SPRING: Average temperatures, average rainfall.
SUMMER: Hot. Important thermal interval. Average rain.
HARVEST: Normal.

HISTORY

After the fermentation process had ended, this wine was placed in wooden wine presses for 3 years and was then moved to hogsheads (700 litres) for 2 years. Lastly it was placed in a used casks for 7 years. It was commecialized during the seventies.

TASTING

COLOUR: Iodine tones with tile coloured edging.

NOSE: Aromas from evolution in the bottle, slightly dulled in the first moments. It opens up with the passage of time after decanting. Aromas of leather, esters and tobacco.

MOUTH: Smooth and balsamic. A certain vigour was encountered due to the acidity. persistent, elegant and complex in the mouth. An interesting wine due to its age.

PRODUCTION:

25.500 bordelaise bottles.







Unico – Bodegas Vega Sicilia

Bodegas Vega Sicilia Unico is still “a prophet in its own land”, Spain, and only a small part of the production leaves the country to be sold abroad. The production of Unico varies from 30.000 to 100.000 bottles depending on the year. The commercial success of Unico is nevertheless decided beforehand regardless of the amount produced, since each vintage is already sold out before the bottling. Yet 700 people are queuing for Unico´s customer list hoping that some of the customers of long standing would give up their place, or forget to order anything for two years, which automatically drops them from the list. The list of the privileged subscribers does not exceed 4,000, and they naturally remain anonymous. Pablo Alvarez, manager of Vega Sicilia, is conscientious when it comes to impartiality towards long standing loyal customers, even though the balance between the company´s firm commercial policy and influential quarters wanting wines outside its customer list is not always easy to maintain.
For example, when Queen Elizabeth II visited Spain a few years ago, the British Embassy wanted Vega Sicilia to represent Spain´s wine tradition at the dinner arranged to honour the Queen. Although the order had been duly placed and at decent notice, the estate was able to deliver only four cases for the dinner, of course with all manner of apologies for not having been able to meet the order in full.
Respecting loyal customers has been a matter of tremendous importance for Bodegas Vega Sicilia throughout its history. When Jesús Anadón was the estate steward the United States´ importer paid a visit and told him that in his faraway homeland the demand was more than 200.000 bottles. As he determinedly insisted that his order be multiplied, the inimitable Jesús stated without blinking an eye that the limit was 500 bottles and no more, and this was his last word.
Unico is a unique wine, and one of the great Spanish classics. It is the signature wine of Vega Sicilia and is taken from some of the oldest vines available. The wine is mostly Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon.
– The Unico wine is produced only in exceptional years, that is, in the course of one decade two or three vintages are "sacrificed" in order to maintain the high quality. It is right that the effect of the harvest is present in each wine: then the -81, -74, -75, -66. -65 and -62 are Unicos in aromatical complexity reaching baroque extremes and the -70, -89, -62, -42 and -22 ones are based on the tannic power reaching to be perpetual wine” , said Mr. Alvarez to me when I asked his personal opinion best vintages of Unicos


Grape varieties: 85% Tempranillo Tinto Fino, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon (1995 vintage)
Winemaking / Ageing: Once the process of fermentation has been completed, the wine remains in large capacity wooden vats for 22 months. It then matures for 22 months in new casks, 28 months in semi-new casks and 24 months in large capacity wooden vats. The remaining time is spent in the bottle until being released.

Bodegas Vega Sicilia S.A.
Finca Vega Sicilia
Carretera Nacional 122, km 323
47359 Valbuena de Duero
Spain
Tel. + 34 983 680 147
Fax + 34 983 680 263
vegasicilia@vega-sicilia.com
www.vega-sicilia.com

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Tasting note

color

Medium and Brick red

ending

Long, Vibrant and Spicy

flavors

Toasty, Floral, Cherry, Smoky, Leather and Tobacco

nose

Mature, Complex, Refined and Ripe

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Medium tannin, Complex, Balanced, Well-structured, Developing, Medium-bodied, Elegant, Firm, Focused, Dry and Silky tannins

Verdict

Intelligent and Excellent

Written Notes

In Ribera del Duero the weather conditions during 1957 were normal. The winter was fairly cold with average rainfall. There was an early, dry spring and long and burning summer with only a small amount of rain. Mild and dry autumn weather existed during the harvest. In Bodegas Vega Sicilia they produced 25.500 bottles, which were commercialized in the early seventies. In 1957 they only used two varieties of grape to blend Unico: Tinto Fino 80% and Cabernet Sauvignon 20%. I purchaced this 1957 with a 1960 vintage from Winebid Australia, and both bottles were in excellent condition regardless of their long journey to Helsinki. The level was by the neck. Decanted two hours. Fine looking, dark and mature colour. Sound, fragrant, tobacco and leathery bouquet. Fresh and youthful on the palate and has much better balance and fruit than any 1957 Bordeaux. Almost a too sturdy and hard wine, it might even need more time in the bottle. Very vigorous and high in acidity. Even so it was an elegant and complex wine with a long and promising future ahead of it. Very enjoyable now, but might be even better after few more years.
  • 92p

Restrained flavours with roasted herbs and earthy flavours. This is a firm, tightly wound Unico with savoury characters and a fairly long finish.

  • 93p

Ruby, orange rim. Figs, dried fruits, some anise, liquorice and cherries nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, fruity, red berries and spices, leaner, dried fruits, long but lacks intensity. 88

  • 88p

Bright mahagony colour. Distinct modernised character, still showing a hint of class, but hidden behind oxidation aroma.

  • 84p
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Information

Origin

Valbuena, Ribera el Duero

Vintage Quality

Above Average

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

Below Average

Fake factory

None

Glass time

45min
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