Unico + BBQ Makes for Quite the Night

"Unico & barbecue". The phrase rolls off the tongue, and for months has been at the top of my tasting aspirations. I couldn't get it out of my head, and couldn't wait for the night to begin. I am happy to report that we pulled it off with aplomb, and learned a lot along the way, too. After the starter Burgundy, we took our time and focused on all six Unico, served in identical Zalto universal glasses. Pause for a Champagne palate refresher and we then paired the reds with dinner. The Santa Maria-style tri-tip and roasted potatoes elevated the wines to yet another level.

• 2014 Domaine Potinet-Ampeau Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

  Diam closure. Like all 2014s for me so far, the freshness of this wine was its most notable attribute, followed closely by its precision, "good cut" as they say. Notes of lemon and underripe apple. Lacked a bit of intensity, though it went down easy as the heat of the late afternoon began to taper off..

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• 2000 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 93 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  The youngest of our vertical, and it showed not only in the dominance of the oak, but also (perhaps) stylistically: just a bit more ripe, a bit less complex and distinctive, somehow. No faults as such, and these are tiny criticisms as the wine was flat-out delicious, especially after 2+ hours in the glass. Dried red fruit, spice and mint notes. The texture lacked that glycerined concentration I expected at this relatively youthful age.

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• NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1991, 1994, 1999 (2012 Release) 91 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  The Reserva was the outlier in our vertical, not really due to the other bottles being all single-vintage, though. In fact, I've had other MV versions that had all the great Unico signatures in spades. This bottle just lacked a little intensity, I thought. More high-toned than the others, perhaps a touch of VA. A floral bouquet, dark berry notes and smooth tannins. Slightly raisiny too.

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• 1990 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 94 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Youthful but substantially developed, and very rewarding. The oak is less noticeable than with younger bottles we had, but some coconut is evident, along with smoky dark berries, plum and spices. Fresh, glycerined mouthfeel.

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• 1982 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 95 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Nearing if not at peak, with all the components working harmoniously to present a complete product. Very complex aromatics, with roasted herbal notes vying for primacy with dark fruit, smoke and tobacco notes. Energetic in the mouth, fresh and with good tension. Edged out by its 1981 older brother by a hair or two, but what they shared is more notable, specifically Right Bank-like attributes as the bottle age has allowed the Bordeaux components to come to the fore, adding red fruit notes which are a touch sweet.

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• 1981 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 97 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Unquestionably my WOTN, from the first sip to the last. Other bottles in the vertical needed more air and/or developed their best stuff over time, but this was spot-on immediately. Came off as at-peak, with concentrated, Pomerol-like caramelized charry, leather and cedar notes accentuating the berry flavors. Perfect balance, making the complexity of the wine easy to overlook. The unusually heavy component of Bordeaux varieties here really shined.

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• 1962 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 96 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  I bought two of these some years ago, and the first disappointed, relatively speaking. My worries for this bottle were entirely unfounded. Even the appearance of the wine was barely distinguishable from all but the youngest served as part of the vertical, with very slight bricking at the edges as the only tell. Powerful aromatics, not shy or fading in the least: smoke, kirsch and a mild mintiness. Caramel and nut flavors join in on the palate, with a seamless, glycerined texture. Again, we found that the ageability really allows the Bordeaux component to elevate the wine to an extraordinary level. Nipped by the 1981 as WOTN, but only just.

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• 2009 Vincent Couche Champagne "ADN" Montgueux 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  My first encounter with this and I was super-impressed. The wine gave a off such a high-energy feel, with loads of concentrated and complex brioche, citrus, mineral and saline notes, complemented by a sort of smokiness I really liked.

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Ultimately, my key takeaways from the evening serve to confirm the main expectations we brought going into the tasting, namely the ageability, distinctiveness and appeal of this long-lived bottling. Also notable were the substantial consistency across so many vintages, and the benefits of being able to follow the trajectory of an Unico across its life, if one is so fortunate. Unico for me justly holds a special place and indeed provides a singular drinking experience.