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  • Country ranking ?

    25
  • Producer ranking ?

    4
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    now - 2045
  • Food Pairing

    roasted scallops

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

I tasted a bottle of the 2009 Único blind and was taken by the freshness, the red fruit notes and the Burgundian-like characteristics of this vintage, which on paper was quite warm and dry. I also tasted the 2009 Valbuena, which is always more approachable, and was blown away by its aromatics. With time in the glass the Único opened up and got closer to the character of Valbuena but with more depth and clout, w...

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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, ...

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Wine Information

Winter was particularly cold with almost daily frost and minimum temperatures as low as -14ºC. The last frost was registered on April 23rd but the vineyard did not bud until the following week. During springtime, temperature difference between day and night of nearly 20ºC was registered, what resulted in a slower vegetative development than normal. This, plus a very dry winter and spring, lead to a particularly healthy year in terms of fungus....

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

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Written Notes

"The elevage is complex, building from smaller barrels to larger barrels over a period of six years, finishing in larger vats. Then four years in bottle. Non-sequential releasing with the 2005 and 2006 being released after the 2007 and 2008. This 2009 has good ripeness and deep fruit-presence on the nose with rich red and dark plums, subtly earthy spice, cedar and fresh tobacco. There’s terrific concentration on the palate and very ripe dark-plum, blueberry and cherry flavors. The tannins are fresh, very long and carry flavors deep. Natural freshness and effortless power, too — a hallmark of Unico! Very open-knit and approachable now, this will age for two decades easily, and then some more." 

  • 98p

Stewed tea, black cherry, dark chocolate and luxurious spicy notes to finish. Finely milled tannic texture makes this very ready to drink, although the tertiary character is only just emerging. Some mushroom and earthy scent hints at what’s to come. Excellent fruit clarity too. Keeps on going.

  • 96p

Inky ruby. An assertively perfumed, highly complex bouquet displays powerful, mineral-accented dark berry preserve, exotic spice, vanilla, potpourri and incense aromas, along with suggestions of cola and mocha. Broad, focused and deeply concentrated, offering palate-staining black and blue fruit liqueur, violet pastille and spicecake flavors that show remarkable clarity and are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. The spice, mineral and floral notes resonate emphatically on the strikingly long, sweet finish, which features harmonious tannins and building, resonating dark berry character. Drinking window: 2026 - 2042. Antonio Galloni, Vinous 98p

  • 98p
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Information

Origin

Valbuena, Ribera el Duero
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