Vega Sicilia Dinner with Pablo Alvarez

Great evening organized by Hart Davis Hart with the array of wines from Vega Sicilia and outstanding food from Sarah Grueneberg.

• 2008 Bodegas Pintia Toro Pintia 90 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Toro

  Lush start with lots of plum and black berries with a borderline jammy character. Lots of new oak spice throughout (70% new French, 30% new American) with cocoa, vanilla, cloves and licorice spice coming through. More firm in middle. Good now, better in the future.

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• 2010 Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia Rioja Macan 90 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Wild berries, lots of spice. Riper vs the 2009 with great concentration. Good length and supporting structure. Better with some more cellar time.

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• 2009 Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia Rioja Macan 87 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Open red and black berries in a leaner, elegant style, just slightly simple. First vintage of this wine. Good now.

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• 2007 Bodegas y Viñedos Alión Ribera del Duero 88 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Plum, black cherry and meaty with some rustic edges and modest spice. Drinking well now.

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• 2009 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Valbuena 5°

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Ripe and lush vs any young Unico, this shows good Asian spice with a nice cigarbox element as well. Good depth. Approachable now, better in 5+years.

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• 2004 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 96 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Dense and massive to start with lots of black berries and intense spice throughout. Lush start followed by great energy, lightening the weight, making this an elegant rock star wine. Give this a decade in the cellar and enjoy through your lifetime+.

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• 2002 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 93 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Big scaled black fruit with lots of power, far less nuance vs the 2004, but still really charming.

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• 2009 Bodegas Pintia Toro Pintia 88 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Toro

  Very well done, even if seeming slightly more modern styled than I prefer vs most wines tonight. Forward and enjoyable, black and rich, just slightly simple.

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• 2009 Bodegas y Viñedos Alión Ribera del Duero 91 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Ripe black berries and cherries that could benefit from some more cellar time to soften. Nicely persistent, very good potential here. I liked this far more vs the Pintia 2009 in the next glass.

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• 2008 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Valbuena 5°

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  I thought this one small notch below the 2009 vintage from earlier in the evening. All black fruit with some cigarbox hints. Bit firm for now, but very good potential.

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• 2003 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 93 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Of the three young vintages of Unico tonight (2002, 2003, 2004) this was the most accessible and forward, perhaps with the least perceived acidity. Drinking very nicely tonight but with enough concentration to remain very interesting.

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• 1970 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 93 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Open and decanted for a few hours before serving. Black fruit with good spice. Nicely fresh, but less length, power and intensity than better bottles I've had in the past. But this kept getting more complete and interesting with more time in glass.

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• 1982 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 93 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Open several hours before serving. Lots of wild berry with baking spice throughout, slightly maturing notes as well. Enticing wine, not a powerhouse vintage for Unico, but very pleasurable for now.

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• NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1985, 1986, 1990 (2002 Release) 95 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Open 3 hours before serving with a quick double decant when first opened. Lots of ripe black berry and plum aromas and flavors with plenty of sweet and savory spice. Lots of power with great structural support in the background. Great now, better and better with more time in glass tonight, and I expect still years away from its peak.

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• 2008 Oremus Tokaji Late Harvest 87 Points

  Hungary, Tokaji

  Not a personal favorite of mine tonight. Sweet start with lots of dried apricot and some honeycomb, followed by a moderate finish that I found ever-so-slightly bitter.

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• 2008 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

  Popped and poured. Incredibly floral with great spice showing ginger, anise and a precise saline character. Opulent fruit balanced with great lemon peel elements. Powerful from start to finish with great concentration. Great now, better in another 205 years. Opened in Gary's cellar because of Anne-Claude's recent passing and since Leflaive was amongst Pablo's personal favorites.

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• 1978 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde Flawed

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

  A wine I have frequently enjoyed over the past 5 years, this bottle showed nice mature fruit aromas, but was seriously over the hill on its palate.

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• 2006 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

  Popped and poured. i haven't had this wine in 3 years, and it's maturing nicely. Lots of red and black berry with very intriguing spicebox. Tannins have completely integrated, acidity comes across very softened. Very good now.

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