At Rare wine dinner (Muru). Slightly funk and cooked vegetables on the nose. Medium bodied, supple, delivering red tart berries with funky notes and a hint of coffee with smooth tannins. Felt quite developed already.
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Vega Sicilia Unico Vertical: 10x Vega Sicilia Unico (1985-2006). 7 vintages of Gran Reserva, 3x Reserva Especial. A few conclusions: A) The quality was high in all bottles. Increased complexity and precision, a fine structural framework with silky tannins, pronounced acidity and very good balance. B) The family resemblance across all bottles is high. Unico has a strong and unique DNA with the freshness and tension of a good Bordeaux combined with the softness and silkiness of Tempranillo and a unique flavor profile with lots of fresh blueberries, garrigue, bacon and gentle coffee notes. C) Maturity was well controlled, even in hot years. No hint of over-ripeness. D) The wines are meant to age and certainly need almost 20 years before reaching a first drinking window. The 30 year old bottles seemed young and only the 40 year old ones showed tertiary aromas. E) The quality was high across the board with no weak bottles, but the best wines were the tertiary 1985 (96pts), 1986 (97pts) and 1987 (95pts). The 2006 (95pts) is very promising.
TN: Expressive, intense from the first sniff through the palate into the long finish. Fresh blue and blackberries, herbs, earthy notes and fresh coffee beans. Fine structure with melted tannins, good freshness and an airy texturez superb.
Decanting: A quick double decant, then the wine rested back in the bottle without cork for roughly five to six hours. This seemed fine.
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Se decantó un poco más de una hora. Color picota oscuro de capa media-alta. Nos da un aroma vivo con cerezas, higos, ciruelas, evolucionando a regaliz y monte umbrío. La boca es excelente y maravillosa, suave, aterciopelada, con una acidez absolutamente viva, expresión frutal apimentada, matizada por elementos terrosos. Final largo.
Un vino maravilloso para no olvidar
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Extremely fresh and vibrant! Powerful, dark and spicy, with very punchy acidity. Tasting blind I might have guessed northern Rhone syrah here. Admittedly I don’t have a ton of experience with these wines, and when I’ve opened them they’ve usually been too young to be particularly interesting. This bottle demands a bit of air, still so youthful and spry, but also seems to just be starting to hit its stride. Very cool!
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This still needs decanting and time. Immediately on opening there were plenty of fresh red fruits but the acidity was overly pronounced on the finish. 4 hours after a double-decant everything was coming back into focus, with the fruits somewhat darker and the acidity balancing rather than dominating. A real pleasure.
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I believe this wine might have been misunderstood when initially rated by professionals. This has become a stunning wine now with aristocratic elegance and velvety power. So much energy that it feels relatively young.
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Hands down WOTN and it wasn't even a competition. We opened and decanted for prob 3 hours before we got to this and honestly it would have been happy with at least 3 more hours of decanting or more time but it was just singing. It's so complex and nuanced and strong but also balanced and just very well done. A really special wine. Many thanks to our friends for sharing.
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A Splendid Pre-Holiday Celebration With the London Crew (67 Pall Mall): A powerful, fresh Unico, in wonderful form. Youthful, lively and rich. Blue and black fruit on the nose, along with plenty of spice, smoky menthol and orange peel. Silky mouthfeel, with layered notes of plum, raspberry, cherry, savory herbs and beef bouillon. The ripe tannins are starting to integrate and did not distract.
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Les 3 premières bouteilles étaient bonnes à très bonnes mais jamais grandes et, celle-ci, d’une autre provenance, était oxydée, fatiguée (chaleur?)...hélas!
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Decanted and served. The nose reigns supreme and is one that is impossible to forget. Soft, does not scream or anything but sort of has an understated elegance. Light oak on the back ground, spice, soft dark fruit, liquorice and a healthy secondary forest floor finish. Open and very expressive. The palate follows , still with a vibrancy , elegant and silky. A superb wine and an easy 96-97
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Slow ox 6 hours, till a bit closed but blossomed in Burg glasses after 15mins or so. Ripe red and dried fruits, sweet oak, cedar, tobacco, savoury, hint of marizpan. Light weight food focus with a refreshingly long acid line. At a good place now.
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Entre mid et base neck. Carafé durant 3 heures puis bu pendant 1 heure. Belle couleur grenat foncé avec quelques nuances orangées. Très joli nez - la meilleure partie de ce vin - qui rappelle un Margaux, fruits rouges, cèdre, une nuance fumée, beaucoup de finesse. La bouche est un peu fluide, fine, l’acidité s’est estompée grâce au passage en carafe, longueur moyenne. Toujours bon mais pas grand.
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another great Vega Sicilia which is still developing. Lots of power but in an elegant way which is never too much. The elegance even in a lesser vintage is impressive.
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Wow do I love these wines. This was so very young tasting. We decanted an hour or two before serving. It has lots of bright red fruits and pepper as it opens up. Very tasty. Has many more years to go.
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Unico tasting (27 different vintages) at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival 2017: clear deep red colour; a hint of tar and smoke in the nose; some cherry in the mouth; medium acidity.
Vintages 1st flight: 1972-1980-1985-1987-1989
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Acker BYO Holiday Dinner (Tribeca Grille): My WOTN which is really saying something. Opened and decanted and the first few sips were honestly a bit more in the good not great. Left the glass and came back to it and suddenly it's licorice and dried red fruit, and leather and everything is just getting a bit brighter. Crushed black pepper. With time the fruit tastes even less dried and more just fresh. The last sip was the best. Really wonderful and amazing wine. Makes me want more Unicos.
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Vega Sicilia Unico Dinner with Pablo Alvarez (Betony): Good nose here, ripe plum and currant fruit, gaining nuance and development. Cool spice and cola. Big palate, structured but softening and approachable. Not as impressive / enjoyable as '86.
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Another one of my favorites of the day (drinking next to Haut Brion, Solaia, Grange, Insignia, Krug). It's incredibly well balanced. Great fruit and leather but then also this very interesting spice characteristic that made the wine really stand out. In a very nice spot right now. Had opened and decanted for a few hours before we poured and was opening up in the glass.
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Decanted for 6 hours before consuming. Very elegant and charming vega that has just opened up with aeration. Its not the thickest and most powerful vega but its silky with menthol, herbs, meat, dark fruit and ink. Wotn for me.
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From my reserve at 67 Pall Mall. Only given a short decant, and would have benefited from man hours more. Improved markedly as the night went on (no surprise). Youthful, lively and rich. The nose is especially savory, with a sweet perfume interplaying enticingly with blue and black berries, spice, smoky menthol and faint orange peel on the nose. The palate was silky and complex, with layers of plum, raspberry, cherry, savory herbs and beef bouillon. The ripe tannins are a bit rough, but integrate well in the mouth. Still youthful yet well developed. I'll try to hold off as long as I can on other bottles.
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Soirée avec D. Delagrange. Un nez marqué par l'acidité volatile, la bouche est dense et acidulée, sauvage, avec une bonne longueur, un style un peu vieillot qui nous amenait vers Bordeaux. Il souffre de passer après plusieurs Bourgogne. Un ovni! 91 pts
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Fairly youthful looking. The nose is a bit high toned, but also of dried fruits and tobacco with a bit of plum, it really leaps from the glass. The palate still has some fine grained tannins and tastes younger than the nose suggests, lots of depth of flavour and a pretty long finish, it's probably on just starting to drink well and has a long life ahead
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Tasted blind. Faintly musty at first but cleans up. Beefy, minty, plums, old wood, musk, wet socks, yep this is Duero for sure. High acid, licorice, high toned palate, tomato paste, pomegranate, coffee. Mt first impression is Valbuena but there's so much treble and not enough bass - maybe Alion or something like that? Really delicious.
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De mémoire... Ouvert 120 minutes avant consommation. Non carafé. Couleur grenat foncé. Nez plutôt sur la réserve, puis des arômes de cuir, d'épices douces, de fruits rouges se sont fait jour. En bouche, le vin est bien construit, costaud, avec de l'acidité "en veux-tu? en voilà"... Mais au-delà de cet aspect, il y a de la complexité, de la longueur. Très bon mais pas grand.
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Tasted blind. Great wood influence on the nose, accompanied by fresh berries and Rioja spice. Light bodied, but has deep complex flavors. Silky barrique lining with an interesting chimney undertone. Electric sour cherry finish. I'll guess Rioja.
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Well integrated wood, grilled meat, sappy, resinous and round. Powerful fruit, mouth watering juicy extract, and just a really interesting flavor profile.
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A Christmas Eve to Remember: 2014: The nose was wonderfully alive with rich dried cherry, sweet spice, dusty potpourri, bakers chocolate, hints of orange peel, and undergrowth. On the palate, it was tense with silky textures and a mouth-watering bitter twang as dark fruits with a hint of citrus gave way to savory herbs and beef broth. The finish was long with tart, dark fruit and hints of herbs. It was fresh and youthful yet maturing all the same, what a gorgeous wine.
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Bouteille et bouchon en parfaite condition. Base neck. Non passé en carafe, mais ouvert 60 minutes avant consommation, puis bu durant 2 heures. Couleur grenat carmin, avec quelques traces d'évolution sur les bords. Le nez est ce qu'il y a de mieux dans ce vin (cette bouteille), il est très présent dès l'ouverture sur des notes florales (pivoine), balsamiques, oranges sanguines, de sang. En bouche, le vin tapisse le palais, il n'y a aucun creux, il prend tout l'espace et on sent l'acidité qui est présente tout le temps. La longueur est toutefois moyenne. A boire sans se presser. Il s'agit assurément d'un très bon vin, qui accompagne à merveille des mets relevés, mais je trouve que son acidité est trop marquée pour en faire un grand vin, sur la base de cette bouteille en tout cas.
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In this vertical of VS, the '87 didn't show very well in comparison, at least tonight. One dimensional and somewhat sour on the finish without much complexity. Bottle seemingly in perfect condition.
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Suffered in comparison to other wines but also feel short in an absolute sense. Few distinctive flavors of note and a short finish. Does not have the elements required for further positive development. Will pass on this in the future.
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Dark garnet with brown hues. Serious nose, mature but still vibrant, with balsamic notes, cedar, dark fruit, ground coffee and bitter chocolate. Still tannic with high acidity deep and long flavor - delicious. A serious old-world style of wine, reminiscent of left bank Bordeaux but most of all Vega-Sicilia with its tell-tale balsamic notes and slight notes of volatile acidity. A great wine.
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/vega-sicilia-unico-1987-magnum.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - De color cereza rojizo de capa media-alta, muy estable (no diríamos nunca que se trata de un vino con más de 25 años), tapado, reflejos grandinos y cobrizos. Borde amplio, granatoso, con marcada diferencia con el menisco, lágrima tintada.
En nariz se presenta muy fino y elegante aunque no excesivamente intenso en el momento de servirlo. Ligeramente constreñido por estos años de guarda en botella. Necesitado de airearse un ratito para ir ganando de forma constante en una expresión varietal "Única". Tempranillo en pureza, de una profundidad brutal, con apuntes de fruta en licor, escarchados, café aromático, cuero curtido y un deje térreo de fondo, trufa, hojarasca, humus... Sobresaliente, complejo, lleno de detalles, fragante, cambiante. No para de crecer en ningún momento. Hay que prestarle atención para no perdérselo... Se balancea entre fruta pasa, ciruelas maceradas, y una lista interminable de detalles a hebras de Virginia, vainilla, caja de puros, granos de café, canela.
En boca es puro terciopelo, de enorme redondez y sensación de plenitud. Un VS esculpido en roca, con una estructura pétrea, colosal, que combina firmeza y suavidad a la par. Tiene ese latiguillo de acidez que, en el caso del formato magnum, le permitirá vivir durante décadas y nos enterrará a todos. Sólo podemos decir que éste está hecho para que lo disfruten las generaciones futuras. Un vino que no deja de crecer y mejorar en todo momento. Expresa la identidad de la mítica bodega de Valbuena de Duero que ha sabido mantener a lo largo de los años las virtudes del que siempre fue el gran vino español. Supura verdad por todos lados. Llegará a la perfección en unos años. Apuesta segura!!!
Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 80% tinto fino (tempranillo), 10% cabernet sauvignon, 10% malbec y merlot - 14% vol. Acabado el proceso de fermentación permanece durante 2 años en tinos de madera de gran capacidad. Trasegado a barricas nuevas de roble de 225 litros en los que realiza una crianza de 16 meses. Nuevamente trasegado para continuar el proceso de maduración en barricas semi-nuevas durante 24 meses. 3 años más en barricas usadas hasta finalizar su largo periodo de crianza con una nueva permanencia de 3 años en tinos de madera de gran capacidad. El resto en botella hasta su comercialización. Producción limitada a 79.240 botellas bordelesas, 2.030 magnum y 110 doble magnum. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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My bottle. This was double decanted about 2 hours before the start of dinner. Great showing. Exotic, sweet, marzipan, funky, strawberry. High-toned and high acid, soy. Great perfume, chocolate, coffee and mocha come out with time. This has serious acid on the palate: strawberry and coffee. I love this (but not all here tonight do). Tart mineral and stone, cherry, marzipan finish. This showed some BDX aspects to start, but it opened and it has way too much acid and vivacity, and too much going on to be BDX. I love it. Nose - 6/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 18/20.
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Lys delikat men likevel tett. Strålende nese med kjølig frukt, heftig men ryddig nese med kraftig fruktpreg. Null kødd og utelukkende elegant. I munn viser vinen et heftig fruktpreg, lag på lag med nyanser som jeg har problemer med å sette forståelige ord på. Ekstremt presis vin som viser kryddertoner som en flott mouton. Mouton 86 ble foreslått som et alternativ, fra kyndig hold, når denne ble presentert blindt. Elegant syre og en lengde få viner kan vise til. Ikke erfaring med Vega men når de presenterer slikt i denne årgangen er det bare å glede seg til pensjonisttilværelsen med 2000. 98 poeng.
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Drank in a vertical with 91, 1997 and 2002. Amazingly fresh for the age still high acid but starting to see vegetal and leather notes. Rich red fruit on the palate, long length. Delicious, I'm sure this could go on for decades
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The Supper Club enjoys white truffles in Chicago Chez Wilfred (Wilfred's.): Showing as it usually does, with its wild child personality that's a touch ungenerous, but also endearing. High acid as always with tart red fruit, cedar, leather and baked earth. The rib roast really helped bring the elements together and harmonized the wine. A-.
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Fresh sweet tobacco, cherry compote, minerals on the nose. The plate is punchy with dark cherry, iron tones (rare meat) supported with racy, vibrant acidity. Very enjoyable.
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Very complex nose of confit cherries, leather, tobacco sharpen by the minerality of graphite and the freshness of menthol. Some hints of chateauneuf ripeness there, but with more freshness and mierality. The mouth is faithful to the nose, with layers of complexity. tannins are rounded, but remain generous. aromas are precise and clean. Balance between kirshed fruit, tobacco and minerality is close to perfect. A great wine !
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Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Sept '10 edition (Txikito, NY): Unreal nose. Just a spectacular scent, combining all sorts of exotic spices, leather, savoury earthy and dark chocolate notes with deep red and dark fruited flavours. It's hard to believe this is over 2 decades old, as it feels incredibly fresh and bright in the mouth with youthful red fruit framed by spice, cocoa, earth and all sorts of other flavours hinting at the start of some development. A powerhouse with precision, tremendous balance and structure suggesting there's still plenty of time ahead, and incredible length. Wow!
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Opened by Jody with dinner. Aromas of chocolate, violets, plum and red fruit. Wonderfully balanced, with nice acidity bolstering the red and black fruit flavors. Finishes with good length and with a savory herbal quality.
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Lovely wine, still youthful and very fresh Next time needs decanting at least 2-4 hours before drinking. Lots of ripe dark red fruits, smooth tannins that are still present, and reasonable length - perhaps the length isthe reason why it does not get higher marks here.
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Drank the 85, 86, 87, and 80 (mag) Unico over pre-dinner and dinner. Notes in order drunk. 86: Great bottle, the most hedonistic of the group. Lovely nose, great shape. 85: A touch of funk, quickly blew off. More complex and sophisticated. Great. 87: Still a fresh baby. Lots of energy, less complex. 80(mag): Good, but for me less interesting than the others. A couple folks loved it.
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Unico 1981 and 1987: The 87 is a good, not great Unico. Its balanced and enjoyable, but lacks the wow factor that this wine is capable of. While not in danger of going downhill, I doubt this will get better and if you own it feel free to drink up.
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Still young...medium red color with a clear rim. Aromas of earthy red fruits, smokey American oak and coffee. Medium-bodied pentrating fruit in the mouth with high acidity, fine structure and tannins and very good length. Should get more complex and, perhaps, richer with time. 80% tempranello makes this an unusual Vega but still very fine.
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Although not a classic vintage for Vega, this wine looked great. Tell tale aromas of chared American oak with red berrys. Medium weight with a very good finish.
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I try to put my point score in correlation to dollar value ... this juice was expensive . It was good , very high acid and a great many flavors but for the $$$ ??? .The bottle had an hour plus in the decanter before returning to the bottle and it needed all that . Great mouthfeel but i still think the high acid was a bit out of balance , maybe time will tell
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Tasted double blind. Garnet color with slight bricking toward the rim. Aromas of leather, violets, lemon juice, rose petals and mint. Wonderful aromatics. Tart red fruit flavors with good acidity.
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Kitchen Tasting Group Does Beaver Creek – Day One: Another beauty. A bit more advanced than the 1986 and 1989. Intense nose featuring aromas of cherry and raspberry with earth and smoke. A joy to smell. Delivers on the palate with concentrated fruit, well integrated tannin and a seductive mouth feel. I called this WOTF, but may be alone in that judgement based on discussion at the table. Sadly my second pour was lost when I tapped the top of the glass with the bottle while returning it to the table. The wine was good enough that I momentarily considered risking the consumption of glass shards just to savor this for one more moment. Fortunately Mitch offered me his pour and I avoided making a regretable decision.
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Dinner at St Jacques - The Night Before The Once In A Lifetime Dinner (Raleigh, NC): Violet in color, this displayed many of the features of a top notch Bordeaux. Lots of lead pencil notes on the nose and good deep fruit on the palate. Dusty tannins on the finish. An excellent wine but it does not come across as being overly compelling for me. 50+12+12+8+8 = 90
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An Evening of Vega Sicilia Unico. (Post House.): I've always liked the '87 as it has a lot of personality. It's not a suave wine, but is a bit rambunctious and testy with its tart cranberry and cherry fruit and high acidity. The acidity keeps the wine young and fresh, but it's showing some complexity on the palate by means of tea bag, leather and citrus flavors. Not one I'd want to sip by itself, but it sings with medium-rare rib eye. A-.
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Tremendously dark and brooding. Very young. Black currant and plum, tobacco and earth. Definitely tastes like the wine of a hot region/year, which it is, but very well balanced for all its hugeness. Immense concentration and length. Probably has a good thirty years left.
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Second bottle from this case, which was bought on release and air shipped to the US. Both bottles have been good, but not great, and lacking the Unico freshness and strength. It was fine, but just not the wow factor that Unico usually provides for me. I remember having a few bottles of this pre-release (a trade for something else with the owners), and it was great then. Not sure if its my case, or a dumb phase (which Vega doesn't typically have), so I hold out hope future bottles.
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Excellent colour. Bright and clear appearance, just starting to mature. More blackcurrants on the nose, although the percentage of Cabernet in the blend has gone down. Bit of a thumper. Dark, leathery fruit with hints of cocoa bean. In the mouth, this is big and integrated, full and round. Huge depth and complexity with loads of layers and also huge elegance. Very attractive indeed. Excellent drinking.
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1/22/2024 - Henman Likes this wine: 90 Points
At Rare wine dinner (Muru). Slightly funk and cooked vegetables on the nose. Medium bodied, supple, delivering red tart berries with funky notes and a hint of coffee with smooth tannins. Felt quite developed already.
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12/17/2023 - robmatic wrote: 95 Points
In a great place right now. Too bad I'm down to my last three cases of this.
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9/11/2023 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Vega Sicilia Unico Vertical: 10x Vega Sicilia Unico (1985-2006). 7 vintages of Gran Reserva, 3x Reserva Especial. A few conclusions: A) The quality was high in all bottles. Increased complexity and precision, a fine structural framework with silky tannins, pronounced acidity and very good balance. B) The family resemblance across all bottles is high. Unico has a strong and unique DNA with the freshness and tension of a good Bordeaux combined with the softness and silkiness of Tempranillo and a unique flavor profile with lots of fresh blueberries, garrigue, bacon and gentle coffee notes. C) Maturity was well controlled, even in hot years. No hint of over-ripeness. D) The wines are meant to age and certainly need almost 20 years before reaching a first drinking window. The 30 year old bottles seemed young and only the 40 year old ones showed tertiary aromas. E) The quality was high across the board with no weak bottles, but the best wines were the tertiary 1985 (96pts), 1986 (97pts) and 1987 (95pts). The 2006 (95pts) is very promising.
TN: Expressive, intense from the first sniff through the palate into the long finish. Fresh blue and blackberries, herbs, earthy notes and fresh coffee beans. Fine structure with melted tannins, good freshness and an airy texturez superb.
Decanting: A quick double decant, then the wine rested back in the bottle without cork for roughly five to six hours. This seemed fine.
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2/3/2023 - FEDEVIDAL Likes this wine: 96 Points
Se decantó un poco más de una hora.
Color picota oscuro de capa media-alta. Nos da un aroma vivo con cerezas, higos, ciruelas, evolucionando a regaliz y monte umbrío. La boca es excelente y maravillosa, suave, aterciopelada, con una acidez absolutamente viva, expresión frutal apimentada, matizada por elementos terrosos. Final largo.
Un vino maravilloso para no olvidar
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12/17/2022 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Extremely fresh and vibrant! Powerful, dark and spicy, with very punchy acidity. Tasting blind I might have guessed northern Rhone syrah here. Admittedly I don’t have a ton of experience with these wines, and when I’ve opened them they’ve usually been too young to be particularly interesting. This bottle demands a bit of air, still so youthful and spry, but also seems to just be starting to hit its stride. Very cool!
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9/18/2022 - cvargas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fabulous. Aearated decanted. Acidity, highlight of the night drinking well
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9/6/2022 - beatles wrote: 92 Points
intense, concentrated, kirsch showing, herbs and spice, some sweetness. Seems mature to me.
#El Cellar de Can Rocca #JubileTasting
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3/11/2022 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
Again a great bottle. Nose real intensity. Still young.
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10/17/2021 - Lordswood wrote: 95 Points
This still needs decanting and time. Immediately on opening there were plenty of fresh red fruits but the acidity was overly pronounced on the finish. 4 hours after a double-decant everything was coming back into focus, with the fruits somewhat darker and the acidity balancing rather than dominating. A real pleasure.
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8/29/2021 - jchan1 wrote: 92 Points
Magnum. Clean fruits, quite pure. Lack precision. Still youthful.
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6/6/2021 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
Nice to drink this with our Spanish friend - another excellent bottle.
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3/19/2021 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
I believe this wine might have been misunderstood when initially rated by professionals. This has become a stunning wine now with aristocratic elegance and velvety power. So much energy that it feels relatively young.
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2/19/2021 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Hands down WOTN and it wasn't even a competition. We opened and decanted for prob 3 hours before we got to this and honestly it would have been happy with at least 3 more hours of decanting or more time but it was just singing. It's so complex and nuanced and strong but also balanced and just very well done. A really special wine. Many thanks to our friends for sharing.
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12/16/2019 - lee77512 wrote: 91 Points
Hmm.... this wine tasted like a wine from Bordeaux. 산미도 있고, 블라인드 태이스팅을 하면, 보르도 와인이라 했을듯.
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12/13/2019 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 95 Points
A Splendid Pre-Holiday Celebration With the London Crew (67 Pall Mall): A powerful, fresh Unico, in wonderful form. Youthful, lively and rich. Blue and black fruit on the nose, along with plenty of spice, smoky menthol and orange peel. Silky mouthfeel, with layered notes of plum, raspberry, cherry, savory herbs and beef bouillon. The ripe tannins are starting to integrate and did not distract.
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8/2/2019 - streethawk wrote: 96 Points
Terrific. Blockbuster wine. It does not get much better than this.
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4/20/2019 - Ericsson wrote: flawed
Les 3 premières bouteilles étaient bonnes à très bonnes mais jamais grandes et, celle-ci, d’une autre provenance, était oxydée, fatiguée (chaleur?)...hélas!
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1/27/2019 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
Decanted and served. The nose reigns supreme and is one that is impossible to forget. Soft, does not scream or anything but sort of has an understated elegance. Light oak on the back ground, spice, soft dark fruit, liquorice and a healthy secondary forest floor finish. Open and very expressive. The palate follows , still with a vibrancy , elegant and silky. A superb wine and an easy 96-97
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12/26/2018 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 94 Points
Slow ox 6 hours, till a bit closed but blossomed in Burg glasses after 15mins or so. Ripe red and dried fruits, sweet oak, cedar, tobacco, savoury, hint of marizpan. Light weight food focus with a refreshingly long acid line. At a good place now.
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1/12/2018 - Ericsson wrote: 92 Points
Entre mid et base neck. Carafé durant 3 heures puis bu pendant 1 heure.
Belle couleur grenat foncé avec quelques nuances orangées.
Très joli nez - la meilleure partie de ce vin - qui rappelle un Margaux, fruits rouges, cèdre, une nuance fumée, beaucoup de finesse.
La bouche est un peu fluide, fine, l’acidité s’est estompée grâce au passage en carafe, longueur moyenne.
Toujours bon mais pas grand.
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12/10/2017 - Bourgognefreak wrote: 93 Points
another great Vega Sicilia which is still developing. Lots of power but in an elegant way which is never too much. The elegance even in a lesser vintage is impressive.
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11/4/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Wow do I love these wines. This was so very young tasting. We decanted an hour or two before serving. It has lots of bright red fruits and pepper as it opens up. Very tasty. Has many more years to go.
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2/24/2017 - Fatty Cat wrote: 89 Points
Unico tasting (27 different vintages) at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival 2017: clear deep red colour; a hint of tar and smoke in the nose; some cherry in the mouth; medium acidity.
Vintages 1st flight: 1972-1980-1985-1987-1989
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12/13/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Acker BYO Holiday Dinner (Tribeca Grille): My WOTN which is really saying something. Opened and decanted and the first few sips were honestly a bit more in the good not great. Left the glass and came back to it and suddenly it's licorice and dried red fruit, and leather and everything is just getting a bit brighter. Crushed black pepper. With time the fruit tastes even less dried and more just fresh. The last sip was the best. Really wonderful and amazing wine. Makes me want more Unicos.
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12/10/2016 - barolo300 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still great structure and expansive flavours if not deep and rich. I wouldn't hold for more than a few years
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11/26/2016 - Axelpeter wrote: 96 Points
19 (Schm MöglB ), dicker und stoffiger als 85er, aber nicht so feine Süße.,,
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10/19/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 91 Points
Vega Sicilia Unico Dinner with Pablo Alvarez (Betony): Good nose here, ripe plum and currant fruit, gaining nuance and development. Cool spice and cola. Big palate, structured but softening and approachable. Not as impressive / enjoyable as '86.
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7/22/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Another one of my favorites of the day (drinking next to Haut Brion, Solaia, Grange, Insignia, Krug). It's incredibly well balanced. Great fruit and leather but then also this very interesting spice characteristic that made the wine really stand out. In a very nice spot right now. Had opened and decanted for a few hours before we poured and was opening up in the glass.
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6/22/2016 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 6 hours before consuming. Very elegant and charming vega that has just opened up with aeration. Its not the thickest and most powerful vega but its silky with menthol, herbs, meat, dark fruit and ink. Wotn for me.
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6/7/2016 - RayOB wrote: flawed
Drank at 67
Nose of forest floor, wood and bret. palate sweet and short. Sadly it has faded and gone
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5/14/2016 - BradE wrote:
Neither the 86 nor 87 came across as distinctive. I've enjoyed the 87 since release, and its unimpressive showing surprised me.
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4/19/2016 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 94 Points
From my reserve at 67 Pall Mall. Only given a short decant, and would have benefited from man hours more. Improved markedly as the night went on (no surprise). Youthful, lively and rich. The nose is especially savory, with a sweet perfume interplaying enticingly with blue and black berries, spice, smoky menthol and faint orange peel on the nose. The palate was silky and complex, with layers of plum, raspberry, cherry, savory herbs and beef bouillon. The ripe tannins are a bit rough, but integrate well in the mouth. Still youthful yet well developed. I'll try to hold off as long as I can on other bottles.
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2/13/2016 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Soirée avec D. Delagrange.
Un nez marqué par l'acidité volatile, la bouche est dense et acidulée, sauvage, avec une bonne longueur, un style un peu vieillot qui nous amenait vers Bordeaux. Il souffre de passer après plusieurs Bourgogne. Un ovni! 91 pts
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1/23/2016 - kingkanu Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fairly youthful looking. The nose is a bit high toned, but also of dried fruits and tobacco with a bit of plum, it really leaps from the glass. The palate still has some fine grained tannins and tastes younger than the nose suggests, lots of depth of flavour and a pretty long finish, it's probably on just starting to drink well and has a long life ahead
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12/27/2015 - andtheodor wrote: 93 Points
Tasted blind. Faintly musty at first but cleans up. Beefy, minty, plums, old wood, musk, wet socks, yep this is Duero for sure. High acid, licorice, high toned palate, tomato paste, pomegranate, coffee. Mt first impression is Valbuena but there's so much treble and not enough bass - maybe Alion or something like that? Really delicious.
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12/24/2015 - Ericsson wrote: 91 Points
De mémoire...
Ouvert 120 minutes avant consommation. Non carafé. Couleur grenat foncé. Nez plutôt sur la réserve, puis des arômes de cuir, d'épices douces, de fruits rouges se sont fait jour. En bouche, le vin est bien construit, costaud, avec de l'acidité "en veux-tu? en voilà"...
Mais au-delà de cet aspect, il y a de la complexité, de la longueur.
Très bon mais pas grand.
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12/20/2015 - Doc90 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted blind. Great wood influence on the nose, accompanied by fresh berries and Rioja spice. Light bodied, but has deep complex flavors. Silky barrique lining with an interesting chimney undertone. Electric sour cherry finish. I'll guess Rioja.
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12/18/2015 - robmatic wrote: 94 Points
Well integrated wood, grilled meat, sappy, resinous and round. Powerful fruit, mouth watering juicy extract, and just a really interesting flavor profile.
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3/10/2015 - hsacks wrote: 93 Points
Similar to the 6/16/08 bottle.
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12/24/2014 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
A Christmas Eve to Remember: 2014: The nose was wonderfully alive with rich dried cherry, sweet spice, dusty potpourri, bakers chocolate, hints of orange peel, and undergrowth. On the palate, it was tense with silky textures and a mouth-watering bitter twang as dark fruits with a hint of citrus gave way to savory herbs and beef broth. The finish was long with tart, dark fruit and hints of herbs. It was fresh and youthful yet maturing all the same, what a gorgeous wine.
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12/19/2014 - McKraftyWino Likes this wine: 89 Points
required a long time in decanter to finally start showing some life.
borderline oxidized but that blew off after a while in the decanter
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8/26/2014 - Ericsson wrote: 91 Points
Bouteille et bouchon en parfaite condition. Base neck. Non passé en carafe, mais ouvert 60 minutes avant consommation, puis bu durant 2 heures. Couleur grenat carmin, avec quelques traces d'évolution sur les bords. Le nez est ce qu'il y a de mieux dans ce vin (cette bouteille), il est très présent dès l'ouverture sur des notes florales (pivoine), balsamiques, oranges sanguines, de sang.
En bouche, le vin tapisse le palais, il n'y a aucun creux, il prend tout l'espace et on sent l'acidité qui est présente tout le temps. La longueur est toutefois moyenne. A boire sans se presser.
Il s'agit assurément d'un très bon vin, qui accompagne à merveille des mets relevés, mais je trouve que son acidité est trop marquée pour en faire un grand vin, sur la base de cette bouteille en tout cas.
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8/19/2014 - dream wrote: 88 Points
In this vertical of VS, the '87 didn't show very well in comparison, at least tonight. One dimensional and somewhat sour on the finish without much complexity. Bottle seemingly in perfect condition.
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8/14/2014 - tinybubbles wrote: 89 Points
Suffered in comparison to other wines but also feel short in an absolute sense. Few distinctive flavors of note and a short finish. Does not have the elements required for further positive development. Will pass on this in the future.
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8/1/2014 - Stefanos T. Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark garnet with brown hues.
Serious nose, mature but still vibrant, with balsamic notes, cedar, dark fruit, ground coffee and bitter chocolate.
Still tannic with high acidity deep and long flavor - delicious.
A serious old-world style of wine, reminiscent of left bank Bordeaux but most of all Vega-Sicilia with its tell-tale balsamic notes and slight notes of volatile acidity. A great wine.
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6/9/2014 - Los 12 Glotones Likes this wine: 98 Points
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Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/vega-sicilia-unico-1987-magnum.html
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De color cereza rojizo de capa media-alta, muy estable (no diríamos nunca que se trata de un vino con más de 25 años), tapado, reflejos grandinos y cobrizos. Borde amplio, granatoso, con marcada diferencia con el menisco, lágrima tintada.
En nariz se presenta muy fino y elegante aunque no excesivamente intenso en el momento de servirlo. Ligeramente constreñido por estos años de guarda en botella. Necesitado de airearse un ratito para ir ganando de forma constante en una expresión varietal "Única". Tempranillo en pureza, de una profundidad brutal, con apuntes de fruta en licor, escarchados, café aromático, cuero curtido y un deje térreo de fondo, trufa, hojarasca, humus... Sobresaliente, complejo, lleno de detalles, fragante, cambiante. No para de crecer en ningún momento. Hay que prestarle atención para no perdérselo... Se balancea entre fruta pasa, ciruelas maceradas, y una lista interminable de detalles a hebras de Virginia, vainilla, caja de puros, granos de café, canela.
En boca es puro terciopelo, de enorme redondez y sensación de plenitud. Un VS esculpido en roca, con una estructura pétrea, colosal, que combina firmeza y suavidad a la par. Tiene ese latiguillo de acidez que, en el caso del formato magnum, le permitirá vivir durante décadas y nos enterrará a todos. Sólo podemos decir que éste está hecho para que lo disfruten las generaciones futuras. Un vino que no deja de crecer y mejorar en todo momento. Expresa la identidad de la mítica bodega de Valbuena de Duero que ha sabido mantener a lo largo de los años las virtudes del que siempre fue el gran vino español. Supura verdad por todos lados. Llegará a la perfección en unos años. Apuesta segura!!!
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80% tinto fino (tempranillo), 10% cabernet sauvignon, 10% malbec y merlot - 14% vol.
Acabado el proceso de fermentación permanece durante 2 años en tinos de madera de gran capacidad. Trasegado a barricas nuevas de roble de 225 litros en los que realiza una crianza de 16 meses. Nuevamente trasegado para continuar el proceso de maduración en barricas semi-nuevas durante 24 meses. 3 años más en barricas usadas hasta finalizar su largo periodo de crianza con una nueva permanencia de 3 años en tinos de madera de gran capacidad. El resto en botella hasta su comercialización. Producción limitada a 79.240 botellas bordelesas, 2.030 magnum y 110 doble magnum.
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6/5/2014 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 96 Points
My bottle. This was double decanted about 2 hours before the start of dinner. Great showing. Exotic, sweet, marzipan, funky, strawberry. High-toned and high acid, soy. Great perfume, chocolate, coffee and mocha come out with time. This has serious acid on the palate: strawberry and coffee. I love this (but not all here tonight do). Tart mineral and stone, cherry, marzipan finish. This showed some BDX aspects to start, but it opened and it has way too much acid and vivacity, and too much going on to be BDX. I love it. Nose - 6/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 18/20.
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5/31/2014 - obmoen wrote: 98 Points
Lys delikat men likevel tett. Strålende nese med kjølig frukt, heftig men ryddig nese med kraftig fruktpreg. Null kødd og utelukkende elegant. I munn viser vinen et heftig fruktpreg, lag på lag med nyanser som jeg har problemer med å sette forståelige ord på. Ekstremt presis vin som viser kryddertoner som en flott mouton. Mouton 86 ble foreslått som et alternativ, fra kyndig hold, når denne ble presentert blindt. Elegant syre og en lengde få viner kan vise til. Ikke erfaring med Vega men når de presenterer slikt i denne årgangen er det bare å glede seg til pensjonisttilværelsen med 2000. 98 poeng.
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2/23/2014 - bugdoced wrote: 95 Points
wow
in a good spot
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3/6/2013 - leecon wrote: 95 Points
Drank in a vertical with 91, 1997 and 2002. Amazingly fresh for the age still high acid but starting to see vegetal and leather notes. Rich red fruit on the palate, long length. Delicious, I'm sure this could go on for decades
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10/27/2012 - BradKNYC wrote:
The Supper Club enjoys white truffles in Chicago Chez Wilfred (Wilfred's.): Showing as it usually does, with its wild child personality that's a touch ungenerous, but also endearing. High acid as always with tart red fruit, cedar, leather and baked earth. The rib roast really helped bring the elements together and harmonized the wine. A-.
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10/8/2011 - BurgFixx wrote: 94 Points
Fresh sweet tobacco, cherry compote, minerals on the nose. The plate is punchy with dark cherry, iron tones (rare meat) supported with racy, vibrant acidity. Very enjoyable.
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6/26/2011 - jpijg wrote: 93 Points
Very complex nose of confit cherries, leather, tobacco sharpen by the minerality of graphite and the freshness of menthol. Some hints of chateauneuf ripeness there, but with more freshness and mierality. The mouth is faithful to the nose, with layers of complexity. tannins are rounded, but remain generous. aromas are precise and clean. Balance between kirshed fruit, tobacco and minerality is close to perfect. A great wine !
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4/9/2011 - drc wrote: flawed
corked
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9/28/2010 - salil wrote: 96 Points
Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Sept '10 edition (Txikito, NY): Unreal nose. Just a spectacular scent, combining all sorts of exotic spices, leather, savoury earthy and dark chocolate notes with deep red and dark fruited flavours. It's hard to believe this is over 2 decades old, as it feels incredibly fresh and bright in the mouth with youthful red fruit framed by spice, cocoa, earth and all sorts of other flavours hinting at the start of some development. A powerhouse with precision, tremendous balance and structure suggesting there's still plenty of time ahead, and incredible length. Wow!
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8/1/2010 - Easter Everywhere wrote: 95 Points
Slight brick, still vibrant, intense tobacco, stewed tomato, scorched earth, super thick, satiny, mineral, earth, smooth! Tangy backbone, wow!
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4/20/2010 - marckuipers wrote: 93 Points
Wat n topwijn. Vol, dik, vet.
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10/21/2009 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
Thirty vintages of Vega Sicilia Único 1953-1999; 10/20/2009-10/21/2009 (Institute of Directors, London): Some cherries on the nose, but tightly wound. Tannic. But this could be very fine with a bit more age. (Several present thought this overly acidic.)
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12/31/2008 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Opened by Jody with dinner. Aromas of chocolate, violets, plum and red fruit. Wonderfully balanced, with nice acidity bolstering the red and black fruit flavors. Finishes with good length and with a savory herbal quality.
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12/18/2008 - Rieslingfan wrote: 95 Points
Stunning wine. Still quite young, but very complex and great persistence. No way to list all the aroma/flavor elements.
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10/27/2008 - Lordswood wrote: 91 Points
Lovely wine, still youthful and very fresh Next time needs decanting at least 2-4 hours before drinking. Lots of ripe dark red fruits, smooth tannins that are still present, and reasonable length - perhaps the length isthe reason why it does not get higher marks here.
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10/18/2008 - ludwigbpm wrote: 90 Points
Dreamer
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8/14/2008 - BradE wrote:
Drank the 85, 86, 87, and 80 (mag) Unico over pre-dinner and dinner. Notes in order drunk.
86: Great bottle, the most hedonistic of the group. Lovely nose, great shape.
85: A touch of funk, quickly blew off. More complex and sophisticated. Great.
87: Still a fresh baby. Lots of energy, less complex.
80(mag): Good, but for me less interesting than the others. A couple folks loved it.
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7/20/2008 - BradE wrote:
Unico 1981 and 1987: The 87 is a good, not great Unico. Its balanced and enjoyable, but lacks the wow factor that this wine is capable of. While not in danger of going downhill, I doubt this will get better and if you own it feel free to drink up.
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6/16/2008 - hsacks wrote: 93 Points
Still young...medium red color with a clear rim. Aromas of earthy red fruits, smokey American oak and coffee. Medium-bodied pentrating fruit in the mouth with high acidity, fine structure and tannins and very good length. Should get more complex and, perhaps, richer with time. 80% tempranello makes this an unusual Vega but still very fine.
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6/15/2008 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 94 Points
Although not a classic vintage for Vega, this wine looked great. Tell tale aromas of chared American oak with red berrys. Medium weight with a very good finish.
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3/28/2008 - JDB wrote: 90 Points
I try to put my point score in correlation to dollar value ... this juice was expensive . It was good , very high acid and a great many flavors but for the $$$ ??? .The bottle had an hour plus in the decanter before returning to the bottle and it needed all that . Great mouthfeel but i still think the high acid was a bit out of balance , maybe time will tell
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12/17/2007 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
Tasted double blind. Garnet color with slight bricking toward the rim. Aromas of leather, violets, lemon juice, rose petals and mint. Wonderful aromatics. Tart red fruit flavors with good acidity.
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11/14/2007 - Bressler wrote: 93 Points
fruit not quite as bright as i remember
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9/21/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Kitchen Tasting Group Does Beaver Creek – Day One: Another beauty. A bit more advanced than the 1986 and 1989. Intense nose featuring aromas of cherry and raspberry with earth and smoke. A joy to smell. Delivers on the palate with concentrated fruit, well integrated tannin and a seductive mouth feel. I called this WOTF, but may be alone in that judgement based on discussion at the table. Sadly my second pour was lost when I tapped the top of the glass with the bottle while returning it to the table. The wine was good enough that I momentarily considered risking the consumption of glass shards just to savor this for one more moment. Fortunately Mitch offered me his pour and I avoided making a regretable decision.
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6/22/2007 - JeffGMorris wrote: 90 Points
Dinner at St Jacques - The Night Before The Once In A Lifetime Dinner (Raleigh, NC): Violet in color, this displayed many of the features of a top notch Bordeaux. Lots of lead pencil notes on the nose and good deep fruit on the palate. Dusty tannins on the finish. An excellent wine but it does not come across as being overly compelling for me. 50+12+12+8+8 = 90
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6/14/2007 - scamhi wrote:
nice bottle, not yet firing on multiple layers. Hold.
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6/13/2007 - Cheryl wrote:
Tocqueville - very, very nice. Needed some air. Very nice. I'd buy this, happily. Had the 89 today and I was equally pleased. Fruit, sweet with spice.
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11/9/2006 - BradKNYC wrote:
An Evening of Vega Sicilia Unico. (Post House.): I've always liked the '87 as it has a lot of personality. It's not a suave wine, but is a bit rambunctious and testy with its tart cranberry and cherry fruit and high acidity. The acidity keeps the wine young and fresh, but it's showing some complexity on the palate by means of tea bag, leather and citrus flavors. Not one I'd want to sip by itself, but it sings with medium-rare rib eye. A-.
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7/20/2006 - yofog wrote: 94 Points
Tremendously dark and brooding. Very young. Black currant and plum, tobacco and earth. Definitely tastes like the wine of a hot region/year, which it is, but very well balanced for all its hugeness. Immense concentration and length. Probably has a good thirty years left.
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4/15/2006 - BradE wrote:
Second bottle from this case, which was bought on release and air shipped to the US. Both bottles have been good, but not great, and lacking the Unico freshness and strength. It was fine, but just not the wow factor that Unico usually provides for me. I remember having a few bottles of this pre-release (a trade for something else with the owners), and it was great then. Not sure if its my case, or a dumb phase (which Vega doesn't typically have), so I hold out hope future bottles.
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11/22/2003 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 95 Points
Vega Sicilia Masterclass with Xavier Ausas (London): A difficult harvest, much interrupted by rain, and consequently a small release. 80% tempranillo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot.
Excellent colour. Bright and clear appearance, just starting to mature. More blackcurrants on the nose, although the percentage of Cabernet in the blend has gone down. Bit of a thumper. Dark, leathery fruit with hints of cocoa bean. In the mouth, this is big and integrated, full and round. Huge depth and complexity with loads of layers and also huge elegance. Very attractive indeed. Excellent drinking.
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11/27/1999 - jusuf wrote: 91 Points
Disappointing for a Unico. Nose complex but without volume. Taste also good but not outstanding. Coffee, leather, red fruits. Nice long finish.
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