wow wow wow - what a wine - aged Vegas are so beautiful -- it´s unbelievable, but this wine is young - nothing tired - so fresh and rich - bordeaux like - tobacco - leather - cherry - cedar- so much complexity - WOTN
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Acker Vega Sicilia dinner with Pablo Álvarez (Asador Bastian): 75/79/81. Wow, this is so pure with more brightness and freshness than the 75 or 79 but with similar complexity of herb/spice layered into the strawberry and rhubarb fruit. Early peak and deliciously good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
In the 75, 79, 81 flight I clearly preferred the 1981. Pablo commented that it was a great year for Unico and I felt it really showed. Everything here was amplified vs the very good ‘75 & ‘79. Lovely spiced earthy notes with dried wild red fruit aromas. This came across darker and richer and more completed. A joy to drink and one of the best wines of the evening out of 15 different Unico’s 1953-2014. These wines age so very well and really improve in the bottle. Wow
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really singing, in complete balance and really drinking like a great, mature Bordeaux-wine with tobacco, leather galore. #El Cellar de Can Rocca #JubileTasting
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Return to Napa; 3/6/2022-3/13/2022 (Wineries and various restaurants): Sortof like a birth year wine for me at least because it was bottled in my birth year. Wines expected to be a few different vintages from the 60's. This was perhaps not a perfect bottle - there was just a faint hint of stewed. Mostly though dried fruits and maybe a bit floral. Interesting wine and fun to have a second bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very nicely well balanced and concentrated wine. Tasted leather, smoke, red berries (black currant), oak, tobacco. Became softer in time (drunk wine in 1,5-2 hours), which gave more complexity and concentration. Very nice!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An amazing wine of incredible finesse and nuance. Opened about two hours before drinking, not decanted. Started fading a bit at the end of the next hour of drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened for my wife's 40th birthday at Angler in SF over Mother's Day weekend.
Bottle was double decanted and set aside, with the exception of the initial pour to make sure the wine was not flawed, we did not hit this bottle until about 1-1.5 hrs into the dinner.
Wowza's, I've had a lot of mid-90s to 2000's Unico's and I'm incredibly sad I did sit on some of them longer. The primary and secondary fruits, softened tannins made this just an incredible wine to keep going back to throughout the rest of our dinner.
Thankfully, I have 1 bottle left, and I'll try my hardest to keep it hiding in the cellar for another decade to save for her 50th.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Unico + BBQ Makes for Quite the Night (Los Olivos, CA): 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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite atypical for an unico it is relatively round and soft with a low level of acidity, well integrated in the background. Dark chocolate and some allspice, this is an Unico for bordeaux drinkers
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Best bottle (@Private location): Glass: Josephinenhütte White/Universal Popped and poured. Clear, deep tawny-garnet color, quite youthful. Clean, a bit muted nose and note as intense as it could be. Spices, herbs, some fine leather and tobacco. Nice, but not great. On the palate very lean and almost meagre. Driven by a wonderful racy acidity. Seems very young and still driven by fruit and some herbs. Very few tertiary flavours. Good length. Potential for at least 1-2 decades. Will it improve? I don’t know… 93-94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Madison Offline 2019; 10/18/2019-10/19/2019: Minimal notes taken. This wine had been opened and recorked 36 hours prior to service. Unusual and not overly pleasant minty notes on the nose. On the palate this was flattish with low acidity, showing prominent tannins and some heat. I didn't take enough time on this wine, but what I did experience was disappointing. Not scored.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sommelier Appreciation Dinner 2019 (The Brown Residence): Expressive nose displaying very ripe concentrated red fruit, plum, cherry, tobacco, espresso, leather and scorched earth. Excellent concentration, packed dense ripe red fruit, unctuous, bright acidity, strong earthy mineral and a medium to long ripe red fruit driven finish with espresso and leather at the end. It is a bit out of place in the flight and lacks finesse compare to the Bordeauxs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vega Sicilia Unicos (Peppercorn's (Hartford, CT)): One of the wines of the tasting for me. A wine of great depth, with dark fruits, superb concentration, balanced structure and excellent length. A complete wine, Bordeaux-like and long. Again, the balance here is fantastic... one would be hard-pressed to find faults here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not particularly impressed. This bottle was closed and did not give up much over the course of a 2-hour dinner. The nose was a little too alcoholic. The body was monolithic, and (surprisingly) still somewhat tannic.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was just magnificent. In a perfect drinking window by my estimation. Powerful, full-bodied, well-rounded stuff that still has many years ahead of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ungt (!) preg på duft, med litt toakk, bær, litt jord. Jordbær og lær på smak. Frisk og syrlig balanserer kraften. Flott integrerte tanniner. I sammenlikning med Latour og Masseto framstår frukten litt søtlig, men den slår likevel Masseto på friskhet og eleganse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
We could have over-decanted this wine. 2 hours was probably too long. The wine dropped in the middle of the dinner. This bottle was on and off throughout the night with quite a muted nose. It is soft and silky with mint and dark/red fruit. The tannins have softened. There are moments where the wine shines. But overall its not the most consistent performer. There are other tasters who like it more than I do tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is the richest wine in the flight (76, 81, 85) by far. Amazing texture to this wine. Supple and very easy to drink. No rough edges whatsoever. Smooth and soft on the palate. Really well integrated and nuanced. Dare I say a baby at 36? Not even close to full maturity. There is upside here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Best Bottle Red in Lucerne without a theme (Hopfenkranz in Lucerne): Drank 14 reds double blindly. No hint just a BB First thought was Bordeaux, very balanced, guessed younger, more tertiary aromas as leather, truffel and some graphite, in the long finish some cassis and cherries, the winner of the flight, 93-94, at his peak, maybe just over the peak
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vega Sicilia Unico Dinner with Pablo Alvarez (Betony): Beautiful nose, comparable to that on the '86. Soft cola spice, chocolates and mocha, and chocolate covered cherries. Expressive and elegant nose, complex and interesting aromatics. Rare roast beef in here too. Still firmly structured on the palate with bigger tannins, tighter fruit, and a shorter finish than the '85. Still very good. In top three wines of the night.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Earthy, leathery, even some graphite and tobacco notes. Fully mature. Lacked a bit of sweetness and fruit compared to the 85. Both wonderful wines but seemed a bit clumsy next to the burgs tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2015 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/19/2015-10/27/2015 (New York City, NY): Deep garnet and fully mature, this wine offers a nucleus of earth-laced plum, surrounded by tertiary aromas of leather, pipe tobacco, cardamom and orange zest. Full-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic and with soft residual tannins, it is layered in the middle and closes with a lengthy, smooth finish. Fully mature and delicious, this should hold up well for another 3-5 years (or more). Drink now-2020.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From Magnum. Medium garnet with an orange rim. Some funky, gamey, barnyard nose with a hint of smoke. I'd almost think a mature Graves or Pauillac. Lovely texture with a hint of spice in the finish. Quite a treat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened along side with 82 Lych Bages, 83 La Mission Haut Brion, 85 Ducru-Beaucaillou, 86 Pichon Lalande and 88 Mouton Rothschild. The best was LB, then this one, Mouton and PL tied, La Mission and then DB. This was still very young and powerful! This VS was very floral on the nose after an hour in decanter. Violet! Lots of black berries, spices, leather and charcoal with good structure in the palate. Medium long finish. The oldest in the bunch, but it showed the best energy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Desde su apertura aturde por la potencia y complejidad. Aquí hay materia prima en arrobas y de la mejor. Tinta fina elegantísima, de grandísima pureza y profundidad, descarnada, floral, pefumada. Va ganando en madurez y expresión al ir tomando aire. Muy cambiante, intenso, aportando unas maderas elegantes, cedro, especias molidas, pimientas, clavos, finos ahumados, pero siempre con esa impronta de tempranillo en pureza a pétalos secos y lavanda de fondo. Tiene un punto muy hermoso, ligeramente vegetal, a hollejo e infusión fría de carcadé. Acelera como bala de cañón. Quizás en esto sea el más actual de todos los VS probados: concentrado, casi juvenil, lleno de fruta roja confitada (cerezas, grosellas rojas) sacando aromas cremosos, granos de café.
Vivo y enérgico, un bebé en pañales. Todo por hacer... Sólo se puede decir que se vendió de forma prematura por que le falta cocerse durante muchos años en botella antes de que le llegue su mejor momento. Pero nada de esto puede restar grandeza de este vino. Un pequeño cañonazo inicial en boca que no concuerda con la idea de vino hecho de los Vega Sicilia anteriores a los 90. Será por el formato de doble botella? Lo dicho, muy grande. Enorme acidez apuntalada en muchísima fruta, tostados de elegancia absoluta y un final de lujo con más madera y especias. El futuro le pertenece y quién sabe a dónde puede llegar. Desgraciadamente dudo que volvamos a tener otro magnum entre las manos para comprobarlo, y menos aún a este precio.
Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 65% tinto fino, 25% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot y malbec - 13.5% vol. Después de la fermentación alcohólica, realizó la maloláctica en grandes envases de roble francés donde permaneció durante 18 meses. A continuación se trasvasó a bidones de madera usados y progresivamente más usados durante 7 años. El resto, en botella hasta su comercialización su comercialización a partir de 2002. Producción limitada a 77.092 botellas bordelesas, 2.000 magnum y 52 doble magnum. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Slight bricking on the rim. Taste of charcoal, gamey meat, dark fruit and loads of blackcurrant in the backend. A well integrated wine which is at its peak but should be able to hold for much longer. A good Unico rather than a great Unico, somehow the experience lacks a bit of oomph somewhere.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Jack's Birthday Bash (Jupiter, FL): Chaulky texture with prominent leather and earth and cherry fruit. No bricking to my eye with a dark color (even a little purple in there) that come across as much younger than it is. The tannins are still assertive and youthful though become more silky with lots of air. I would suggest at least 3.5 hours, even at this age. A remarkable wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At a summer BBQ- we had a Vega 70 and 81 with steaks. the '81 looks quite dark still, deep nose of berries, a bit of chocolate and just a touch of prunes when poured in the decanter, this disappeared by the time we drank it. in the mouth it is full meaty and still quite youthful, well balanced and quite long. first bottle finished out of the 3reds on the table. easy / lovely drink
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Birthday Dinner (Inovasi - Lake Bluff IL): Floral start with some great fresh forest aromas with fresh red and black cherries. All elements continue from nose onto palate with good licorice and tarragon. Very vibrant and youthful at almost thirty years old with lots of acidity and fine, elegant tannins. Great textures, spice and length. Really wonderful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Celebration Dinner (Inovasi, Lake Bluff, IL): Dark red/black berries and plums on the nose and palate. Toasty wood notes. A very fruit forward palate. Medium plus bodied, great texture, and a long finish. Wonderful acidity throughout. Beautiful wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Unico 1981 and 1987: Drank the 81 and 87 Unico tonight over dinner. The 81 is for me a spectacular wine. Its been in a great drinking window for a number of years. Explosive from the get-go, this is full on Unico. The nose is spectacular. Loved it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Espanha (Piselli): Tempranillo (65%), cabernet sauvignon (25%), merlot e malbec (10%). Colocado no mercado pela Vega Sicilia apenas em 1998. Líquido de cor acastanhada, límpido e brilhante. Muito evoluído, aromas intensos de estrebaria que se sobrepunham a qualquer resquício de fruta, leves notas oxidativas. Muito melhor em boca, vivo, agradável, lembrando couro e com um fundo de cereja. Potente mas suave, taninos surpreendentemente presentes. Nota numérica resultante da média aritmética: 87 pelo nariz e 95 pela boca; no final das contas, ótimo vinho. Meu chute: Vega 81? O/E.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep red with a slight brick rim. The nose was an elevatorride of different red berries and deep down in the basement there was some dark berries and some dark fruit. It had some of the tempranillo sunburnt red brick on the nose too. The taste was so very pure, elegant and focused. Red currant, some raspberrys and some dark berries too. The aftertaste just went on and on and grew bigger and bigger for a long time.An awesome wine..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An Evening of Vega Sicilia Unico. (Post House.): Always a great showing for this wine. What really separates this wine from others is the combination of perfect, silky balance with a ton of stuffing. There's a lot going on here. Plenty of fruit, cedar, spice, game, dried herbs. Great depth and even though there's a bunch of structure here, somehow it comes off elegantly. It always reminds me a bit of the '91 Chave with it's balance, though it's not as soft as the Chave. Drinks great now and has for sometime, but can certainly age a lot longer. One of the best Vegas out there. A+/A.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vega-Sicilia Único - vertical (81-94): Rubi com reflexos alaranjados. Balsâmico, ervas (tomilho), chá, liquirizia, café tostado, grande acidez. Oxidação, porém muito agradável. Informações do site da VS: 65%T+25%CS+10%Merlot e Malbec. 77.092 botellas bordelesas , 2.000 Magnum y 52 Doble Magnum. Después de la fermentación alcohólica, realizó la maloláctica en grandes envases de roble francés donde permaneció durante 18 meses. A continuación se trasvasó a bidones de madera usados y progresivamente más usados durante 7 años. El resto, en botella hasta su comercialización en marzo de 1998.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/21/2024 - UPL Likes this wine: 99 Points
wow wow wow - what a wine - aged Vegas are so beautiful -- it´s unbelievable, but this wine is young - nothing tired - so fresh and rich - bordeaux like - tobacco - leather - cherry - cedar- so much complexity - WOTN
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Vega Sicilia Unico Dinner with Pablo Alvarez (Asador Bastian - Chicago IL): 75/79/81 flight, this wine was the rockstar. So much fresh and dried black cherry and plum with braised meat and absolutely wonderful depth. So seamless and elegant. This got bigger and longer with more time in glass.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2023 - Nanda wrote: 96 Points
Acker Vega Sicilia dinner with Pablo Álvarez (Asador Bastian): 75/79/81. Wow, this is so pure with more brightness and freshness than the 75 or 79 but with similar complexity of herb/spice layered into the strawberry and rhubarb fruit. Early peak and deliciously good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2023 - KenK Likes this wine: 96 Points
In the 75, 79, 81 flight I clearly preferred the 1981. Pablo commented that it was a great year for Unico and I felt it really showed. Everything here was amplified vs the very good ‘75 & ‘79. Lovely spiced earthy notes with dried wild red fruit aromas. This came across darker and richer and more completed. A joy to drink and one of the best wines of the evening out of 15 different Unico’s 1953-2014. These wines age so very well and really improve in the bottle. Wow
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2023 - alittle wrote: 99 Points
Incredible showing for this wine. Among the best Spanish wines I've ever had. Within context of what it is, I think this is a perfect wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2022 - Larslatour wrote: 92 Points
Still fresch after so many years. Amazing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2022 - beatles wrote: 96 Points
Really singing, in complete balance and really drinking like a great, mature Bordeaux-wine with tobacco, leather galore.
#El Cellar de Can Rocca #JubileTasting
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Return to Napa; 3/6/2022-3/13/2022 (Wineries and various restaurants): Sortof like a birth year wine for me at least because it was bottled in my birth year. Wines expected to be a few different vintages from the 60's. This was perhaps not a perfect bottle - there was just a faint hint of stewed. Mostly though dried fruits and maybe a bit floral. Interesting wine and fun to have a second bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2021 - walterb Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very nicely well balanced and concentrated wine. Tasted leather, smoke, red berries (black currant), oak, tobacco. Became softer in time (drunk wine in 1,5-2 hours), which gave more complexity and concentration. Very nice!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2021 - Nothung Likes this wine: 95 Points
An amazing wine of incredible finesse and nuance. Opened about two hours before drinking, not decanted. Started fading a bit at the end of the next hour of drinking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/8/2021 - Elementalvino Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opened for my wife's 40th birthday at Angler in SF over Mother's Day weekend.
Bottle was double decanted and set aside, with the exception of the initial pour to make sure the wine was not flawed, we did not hit this bottle until about 1-1.5 hrs into the dinner.
Wowza's, I've had a lot of mid-90s to 2000's Unico's and I'm incredibly sad I did sit on some of them longer. The primary and secondary fruits, softened tannins made this just an incredible wine to keep going back to throughout the rest of our dinner.
Thankfully, I have 1 bottle left, and I'll try my hardest to keep it hiding in the cellar for another decade to save for her 50th.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/30/2021 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 97 Points
Unico + BBQ Makes for Quite the Night (Los Olivos, CA): 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.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2020 - G_H wrote: 94 Points
Quite atypical for an unico it is relatively round and soft with a low level of acidity, well integrated in the background. Dark chocolate and some allspice, this is an Unico for bordeaux drinkers
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2019 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 93 Points
Best bottle (@Private location): Glass: Josephinenhütte White/Universal
Popped and poured. Clear, deep tawny-garnet color, quite youthful. Clean, a bit muted nose and note as intense as it could be. Spices, herbs, some fine leather and tobacco. Nice, but not great.
On the palate very lean and almost meagre. Driven by a wonderful racy acidity. Seems very young and still driven by fruit and some herbs. Very few tertiary flavours. Good length. Potential for at least 1-2 decades. Will it improve? I don’t know… 93-94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2019 - petitblanc wrote:
Madison Offline 2019; 10/18/2019-10/19/2019: Minimal notes taken. This wine had been opened and recorked 36 hours prior to service. Unusual and not overly pleasant minty notes on the nose. On the palate this was flattish with low acidity, showing prominent tannins and some heat. I didn't take enough time on this wine, but what I did experience was disappointing. Not scored.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2019 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Sommelier Appreciation Dinner 2019 (The Brown Residence): Expressive nose displaying very ripe concentrated red fruit, plum, cherry, tobacco, espresso, leather and scorched earth. Excellent concentration, packed dense ripe red fruit, unctuous, bright acidity, strong earthy mineral and a medium to long ripe red fruit driven finish with espresso and leather at the end. It is a bit out of place in the flight and lacks finesse compare to the Bordeauxs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2018 - mdefreitas wrote: 98 Points
Vega Sicilia Unicos (Peppercorn's (Hartford, CT)): One of the wines of the tasting for me. A wine of great depth, with dark fruits, superb concentration, balanced structure and excellent length. A complete wine, Bordeaux-like and long. Again, the balance here is fantastic... one would be hard-pressed to find faults here.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2018 - nihraguk wrote:
Not particularly impressed. This bottle was closed and did not give up much over the course of a 2-hour dinner. The nose was a little too alcoholic. The body was monolithic, and (surprisingly) still somewhat tannic.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2018 - BradE wrote:
Corked.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2018 - tcarter Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was just magnificent. In a perfect drinking window by my estimation. Powerful, full-bodied, well-rounded stuff that still has many years ahead of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2017 - daghaug Likes this wine:
Ungt (!) preg på duft, med litt toakk, bær, litt jord. Jordbær og lær på smak. Frisk og syrlig balanserer kraften. Flott integrerte tanniner. I sammenlikning med Latour og Masseto framstår frukten litt søtlig, men den slår likevel Masseto på friskhet og eleganse.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2017 - Burgnick wrote: 91 Points
We could have over-decanted this wine. 2 hours was probably too long. The wine dropped in the middle of the dinner. This bottle was on and off throughout the night with quite a muted nose. It is soft and silky with mint and dark/red fruit. The tannins have softened. There are moments where the wine shines. But overall its not the most consistent performer. There are other tasters who like it more than I do tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2017 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is the richest wine in the flight (76, 81, 85) by far. Amazing texture to this wine. Supple and very easy to drink. No rough edges whatsoever. Smooth and soft on the palate. Really well integrated and nuanced. Dare I say a baby at 36? Not even close to full maturity. There is upside here.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Smooth and warm with soft vanilla and spice. Velvety feel to the palate. A more complex wine than the '85 at present.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2016 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Best Bottle Red in Lucerne without a theme (Hopfenkranz in Lucerne): Drank 14 reds double blindly. No hint just a BB
First thought was Bordeaux, very balanced, guessed younger, more tertiary aromas as leather, truffel and some graphite, in the long finish some cassis and cherries, the winner of the flight, 93-94, at his peak, maybe just over the peak
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
Vega Sicilia Unico Dinner with Pablo Alvarez (Betony): Beautiful nose, comparable to that on the '86. Soft cola spice, chocolates and mocha, and chocolate covered cherries. Expressive and elegant nose, complex and interesting aromatics. Rare roast beef in here too. Still firmly structured on the palate with bigger tannins, tighter fruit, and a shorter finish than the '85. Still very good. In top three wines of the night.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2016 - BradE wrote:
I've always liked the 81 Unico, and this bottle was no exception. Very good.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2016 - ccn Likes this wine: 94 Points
@rekondo
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2016 - FYC wrote:
Earthy, leathery, even some graphite and tobacco notes. Fully mature. Lacked a bit of sweetness and fruit compared to the 85. Both wonderful wines but seemed a bit clumsy next to the burgs tonight.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2015 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 92 Points
2015 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/19/2015-10/27/2015 (New York City, NY): Deep garnet and fully mature, this wine offers a nucleus of earth-laced plum, surrounded by tertiary aromas of leather, pipe tobacco, cardamom and orange zest. Full-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic and with soft residual tannins, it is layered in the middle and closes with a lengthy, smooth finish. Fully mature and delicious, this should hold up well for another 3-5 years (or more). Drink now-2020.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2015 - cos65 Likes this wine:
From Magnum.
Medium garnet with an orange rim. Some funky, gamey, barnyard nose with a hint of smoke. I'd almost think a mature Graves or Pauillac. Lovely texture with a hint of spice in the finish. Quite a treat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2015 - R. Hung wrote: 94 Points
Opened along side with 82 Lych Bages, 83 La Mission Haut Brion, 85 Ducru-Beaucaillou, 86 Pichon Lalande and 88 Mouton Rothschild. The best was LB, then this one, Mouton and PL tied, La Mission and then DB. This was still very young and powerful! This VS was very floral on the nose after an hour in decanter. Violet! Lots of black berries, spices, leather and charcoal with good structure in the palate. Medium long finish. The oldest in the bunch, but it showed the best energy!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2014 - BradE wrote:
A nice complement to the 68. Unico, when on, is simply sublime. A good night courtesy of Ribera del Duero.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2013 - Los 12 Glotones Likes this wine: 96 Points
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/12/vega-sicilia-unico-1981-magnum-gran.html
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
De color rubí granatoso de capa media, oscuro y limpio, no aparenta su edad. Reflejos rojizos y anaranjados, brillante, vivo. Borde cobrizo, estrecho.
Desde su apertura aturde por la potencia y complejidad. Aquí hay materia prima en arrobas y de la mejor. Tinta fina elegantísima, de grandísima pureza y profundidad, descarnada, floral, pefumada. Va ganando en madurez y expresión al ir tomando aire. Muy cambiante, intenso, aportando unas maderas elegantes, cedro, especias molidas, pimientas, clavos, finos ahumados, pero siempre con esa impronta de tempranillo en pureza a pétalos secos y lavanda de fondo. Tiene un punto muy hermoso, ligeramente vegetal, a hollejo e infusión fría de carcadé. Acelera como bala de cañón. Quizás en esto sea el más actual de todos los VS probados: concentrado, casi juvenil, lleno de fruta roja confitada (cerezas, grosellas rojas) sacando aromas cremosos, granos de café.
Vivo y enérgico, un bebé en pañales. Todo por hacer... Sólo se puede decir que se vendió de forma prematura por que le falta cocerse durante muchos años en botella antes de que le llegue su mejor momento. Pero nada de esto puede restar grandeza de este vino. Un pequeño cañonazo inicial en boca que no concuerda con la idea de vino hecho de los Vega Sicilia anteriores a los 90. Será por el formato de doble botella? Lo dicho, muy grande. Enorme acidez apuntalada en muchísima fruta, tostados de elegancia absoluta y un final de lujo con más madera y especias. El futuro le pertenece y quién sabe a dónde puede llegar. Desgraciadamente dudo que volvamos a tener otro magnum entre las manos para comprobarlo, y menos aún a este precio.
Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
65% tinto fino, 25% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot y malbec - 13.5% vol.
Después de la fermentación alcohólica, realizó la maloláctica en grandes envases de roble francés donde permaneció durante 18 meses. A continuación se trasvasó a bidones de madera usados y progresivamente más usados durante 7 años. El resto, en botella hasta su comercialización su comercialización a partir de 2002. Producción limitada a 77.092 botellas bordelesas, 2.000 magnum y 52 doble magnum.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/26/2013 - jhngo Does not like this wine: 88 Points
a bit thin not as complex
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2012 - sparksinsuits wrote: 93 Points
Full and sweet cherries. Better after leaving half an hour in a decanter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2012 - winecowboy wrote: 90 Points
Tannins melted into the strawberry pie. Rustic and seductive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2012 - Pacalet wrote: 91 Points
Slight bricking on the rim. Taste of charcoal, gamey meat, dark fruit and loads of blackcurrant in the backend. A well integrated wine which is at its peak but should be able to hold for much longer. A good Unico rather than a great Unico, somehow the experience lacks a bit of oomph somewhere.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2011 - vinole wrote: 94 Points
Jack's Birthday Bash (Jupiter, FL): Chaulky texture with prominent leather and earth and cherry fruit. No bricking to my eye with a dark color (even a little purple in there) that come across as much younger than it is. The tannins are still assertive and youthful though become more silky with lots of air. I would suggest at least 3.5 hours, even at this age. A remarkable wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2010 - BradE wrote:
Drank two bottles of this last night, and both were delicious. The 81 Unico is sweet, forward, and should age effortlessly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2010 - reichken wrote: 93 Points
At a summer BBQ- we had a Vega 70 and 81 with steaks. the '81 looks quite dark still, deep nose of berries, a bit of chocolate and just a touch of prunes when poured in the decanter, this disappeared by the time we drank it. in the mouth it is full meaty and still quite youthful, well balanced and quite long. first bottle finished out of the 3reds on the table. easy / lovely drink
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2010 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Birthday Dinner (Inovasi - Lake Bluff IL): Floral start with some great fresh forest aromas with fresh red and black cherries. All elements continue from nose onto palate with good licorice and tarragon. Very vibrant and youthful at almost thirty years old with lots of acidity and fine, elegant tannins. Great textures, spice and length. Really wonderful.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2010 - MatthewF wrote:
Celebration Dinner (Inovasi, Lake Bluff, IL): Dark red/black berries and plums on the nose and palate. Toasty wood notes. A very fruit forward palate. Medium plus bodied, great texture, and a long finish. Wonderful acidity throughout. Beautiful wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2009 - ricknat1 wrote: flawed
corked again
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/13/2009 - ricknat1 wrote: flawed
Corked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
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): Tight medicinal nose, some earthiness, but then cherries, cherries all the way - finishing very pure and pretty
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2008 - BradE wrote:
Not tasted by me, but the folks loved it. Guessed as bordeaux blind by the crowd.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2008 - BradE wrote:
Unico 1981 and 1987: Drank the 81 and 87 Unico tonight over dinner. The 81 is for me a spectacular wine. Its been in a great drinking window for a number of years. Explosive from the get-go, this is full on Unico. The nose is spectacular. Loved it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2007 - BradE wrote:
Great!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/24/2007 - losvinhos wrote: 91 Points
Espanha (Piselli): Pareceu já estar na descendente.Excelente
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/24/2007 - Vinho wrote: 91 Points
Espanha (Piselli): Tempranillo (65%), cabernet sauvignon (25%), merlot e malbec (10%). Colocado no mercado pela Vega Sicilia apenas em 1998.
Líquido de cor acastanhada, límpido e brilhante. Muito evoluído, aromas intensos de estrebaria que se sobrepunham a qualquer resquício de fruta, leves notas oxidativas. Muito melhor em boca, vivo, agradável, lembrando couro e com um fundo de cereja. Potente mas suave, taninos surpreendentemente presentes. Nota numérica resultante da média aritmética: 87 pelo nariz e 95 pela boca; no final das contas, ótimo vinho. Meu chute: Vega 81? O/E.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2007 - BradE wrote:
Simply fantastic. This is one of the best current drinking Unicos. Grew and grew. Nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2007 - Deadheadno1 wrote: 96 Points
Deep red with a slight brick rim. The nose was an elevatorride of different red berries and deep down in the basement there was some dark berries and some dark fruit. It had some of the tempranillo sunburnt red brick on the nose too. The taste was so very pure, elegant and focused. Red currant, some raspberrys and some dark berries too. The aftertaste just went on and on and grew bigger and bigger for a long time.An awesome wine..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2006 - BradKNYC wrote:
An Evening of Vega Sicilia Unico. (Post House.): Always a great showing for this wine. What really separates this wine from others is the combination of perfect, silky balance with a ton of stuffing. There's a lot going on here. Plenty of fruit, cedar, spice, game, dried herbs. Great depth and even though there's a bunch of structure here, somehow it comes off elegantly. It always reminds me a bit of the '91 Chave with it's balance, though it's not as soft as the Chave. Drinks great now and has for sometime, but can certainly age a lot longer. One of the best Vegas out there. A+/A.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2006 - Vinho wrote: 91 Points
Vega-Sicilia Único - vertical (81-94): Rubi com reflexos alaranjados. Balsâmico, ervas (tomilho), chá, liquirizia, café tostado, grande acidez. Oxidação, porém muito agradável.
Informações do site da VS: 65%T+25%CS+10%Merlot e Malbec. 77.092 botellas bordelesas , 2.000 Magnum y 52 Doble Magnum. Después de la fermentación alcohólica, realizó la maloláctica en grandes envases de roble francés donde permaneció durante 18 meses. A continuación se trasvasó a bidones de madera usados y progresivamente más usados durante 7 años. El resto, en botella hasta su comercialización en marzo de 1998.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2006 - BradE wrote:
Great, as always.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment