The fill level and cork were perfect but unfortunately, this bottle had a slightly oxidized taste. Too bad, but the wine was still pretty good. A rating would not be fair under these conditions.
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Decanted about 2 hours, which it needed to open up. Fairly consistent with past notes, some bottles slightly better than others. Paired perfectly with grilled venison backstrap.
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Rich comforting pronounced aromas. Flavors of ripe black cherry, red cherry, black plum, toast, dill, clove, dried black plum, vanilla, dried leaves, brown mushroom, and dried tobacco. M+ concentration. Pronounced intensity. M+ integrated acid. High tannins have polymerized to be especially soft, polished, and velvety, to where I wouldn’t mind if there was just a bit more texture. Full bodied, but not loud—it quietly commands the room. Long finish. Drinking nicely. It can continue to age, but I would enjoy it now, while it has the current balance of primary and tertiary fruit. I would savor a sip when poured, and then slowly begin enjoying the glass an hour later as it evolves in the glass. For this vintage, I didn't need to wait two hours, but others prefer to give it more time to breath. It’s outstanding and iconic, with pricing driven by supply and demand. Nonetheless, at this price, the QPR isn’t there for me personally.
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A big brooding wine which even after long decant was very strong and powerful. I’d leave for several years yet as I think it will be stunning when it has had a little more time
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Vega Sicilia Unico Dinner with Pablo Alvarez (Asador Bastian - Chicago IL): In 02/04/05/08 flight of infanticide. Certainly the most accessible of the flight (the only one I would consider accessible) with gobs of black cherry, plum, and roasted beef ribs with a savory spice rub. Long and elegant, this is also still firm in the middle, but so composed and engaging.
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tasted blind, and after a lineup of other rich reds, thus this ashamedly got less than full attention. full fruited, and rich, but still young. I recall having the '02 more than a year ago which was more resolved. Hold.
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TOP SHELF WINE WEEKEND: Red cherry, strawberry, and leather dominate the profile here. A bit of funk, tobacco leaf, and earth rise to the surface, making for an older-world profile, which is also heightened by the near-twenty-year age of this Unico. For my palate, this went into the “unique” category. I don’t have much reference points here, so my assessment of it is really just based on where it landed on my palate given everything else going on amongst a sea of other heavy hitters. I had to go back to this a few times to truly appreciate it. It felt almost like trying to fully realize the accolades of a Grand Cru red Burgundy while being placed in a lineup of top shelf Napa Cabs. Drinking the Unico next to such palate-benders is an exercise in constantly recalibrating an already ping-ponging palate. I would have loved to kick back with just this wine over the course of an evening with my Vizsla Sparticus and a copy of some weathered rag by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
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Best of the World Wine Night (ex-Italy) (The csimm_M Estate): Well, this tasting was billed as “New World” wines, but when I got to the tasting island and saw this and the Grange, I gave them a gimlet eyed stare, knowing that these bucket list wines would jump near the front of the line, just after the Lafleurs and Harlan, what with sfwl being accused, not entirely wrongly, of having an Old World palate. That said, my knowledge of Iberian wines is rather weak, despite last spring’s adventures in Rioja and the Douro Valley, and could probably captured on a page about as long as the page entitled “Jewish Sports Legends” given to Leslie Nielsen, to those peers of mine, when he needed something to read while awaited admittance to restroom. And this is my kind of an Old World wine, with still lots of bright fruit—more dark cherries to my palate than the red fruit my fellow CTers found—and relatively relaxed structure. With Riojas and Priorats, if anything, I’ve found them too often too tilted to a New World style, with a bit too prominent oak and vanilla. But no such problem in this immaculately balanced, completely integrated and elegant wine, with just enough power and persistence to make this truly world class. I’m somewhere in between my fellow CTers in thinking this at the tail end of its peak drinking window, if anything just past, approaching the point where suppleness starts turning into softness. I’m not sure I went back to this wine after that initial taste—it may have been long gone by the time I started revisiting tastes anyway—so I can’t say how this did, or how another bottle of this would, hold up with more aeration (nor to what extent this was aerated before I had my taste), but my sense is that you’d want to do something close to a PnP at this point, and if you have an unopened bottle, if not drinking now, doing so sooner than later, at least, as IRBDW points out, if you want the fruit to reign over the secondary notes (CT window of 2034 seems very optimistic). I loved the way the CS affected the Tempranillo here, giving more backbone than I’d expect, but I understand that the percentage has dropped significantly from here. This is a pricey pour (as an aside, bless Eva Longoria’s little heart for drinking this and not Caymus or worse, some silly Rose; as I said in a note for Cristal, even the not particularly sophisticated rich can be right sometimes), but to my mind, held very competitively with more or less price peers like the Colgins and Abreus, above, and again, this is IMO only, Scarecrow and Mag 7 (yeah, I know, completely different kinds of wines, quality aside). To whomever brought this—IRBDW, I suspect—a huge thank you, as I’d never been in the same zip code as an open bottle of this, and I suspect my opportunities going forward, short of buying one, which I’d certainly consider, will be more limited than with most of these quaffs. I knew we’d be drinking the most exceptional American wines, but having this, Grange and the ‘18 Lafleur turned this from excellent to extraordinary. 98-99
Wild and Crazy Memorial Weekend - Sunday (Chris' Castle aka Melissa's Manor): As I read through other CT notes, not sure where some others are coming from re: dead fruit...I have thought lots of older wines were dead, even where others thought there was plenty of fruit, but I never imagined I would ever be on the other side of that table, unless it is just bottle variation. For me, this had lots of fruit, to the point I would say that it was fruit dominated, but there is a very nice balance here between fruit and the tertiary flavors I enjoy....in short, for me, this wine is in the zone right now where there is a great balance between fruit and tertiary flavors, and for me, this even leans slightly on the fruit side of the scale (which is perfect!)
2004 Unico - Nice nose with cherry, leather, earth and forest floor. Palate shows layers of red and dark fruit, with earth and mushroom, sweet tobacco and graphite, and some tar and toasted oak. The American oak is nicely integrated and the wine shows no heat and a plush mouthfeel that goes down oh so easy. I can't imagine this wine drinking any better than it is now for my palate, but should hold here for a few more years....another wine I would say to open when the situation presents itself, I can't imagine disappointment whether now or with the next couple years. For those looking for most tertiary flavors, you can wait another 5 years....for those who still want a fair amount of fruit, drink up within the next 1-2 years. Easy 97 for me!
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Memorial Madness at Case de Chris y Melissa - Day 2 of 2: My first experience with this “Eva Longoria Table Wine”. I guess she can afford $400 dollar table wine from her acting career. Very earth driven wine with a good backbone of fruit. Very good wine and interesting to taste but seeing as though it was amongst a plethora of Napa cabs, that could have been the issue...
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Memorial Day Weekend, Day 2: The Great Gatsby: On the nose was a pleasant aroma of gentle cigar wrappings (or dried tobacco leaves) with gentle red fruits, and a dry dusty earth note.
On the palate was an interesting and surprisingly clean, dry red earth as if the ground was made up mostly of clay, accompanied by lighter, swift red fruits that run across the palate.
This was good and I hate to keep thinking how I would've loved to enjoy this much younger. Would've loved to taste straight from the pour, allowing it air time and following along. But I wouldn't know, this could also gain more pizazz with some more time.
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Cellartracker in the flesh with Stefan (Stefan's office, Hongodai): "Served blind. M-I Meaty gamey slightly off notes initially, earth, leather, red berried fruit in support. Slightly sour red berry fruit, slight alcohol warmth, talc textured persistent drying tannins, a little chalky minerality. Old, Italy? 1990's"
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Decanted about 2 hours. While still very nice, it lacked the nose of the bottle tasted about a month ago, even though both came from the same case and were prepared the same. Palate was still quite nice though. Another example of bottle variance.
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Tasted at Heinen's. Brick colored. Nose fairly closed but some dried cherry, oak and leather. Palate also closed. Dried cherry, cocoa, leather and plenty of oak. Acidity and tannins dominated the finish. Don't where this is going, but not a fan of where it is, esp at this price.
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tightly wound but with so much going on. Highly concentrated with an incredible pure cherry note coming through. THe spices, herbs, and acidity are all there but compacted at present.
Chocolate galore here. Smooth rich, full bodied, yet en danseuse, elegant, very convincing in that way. Tannins are smooth, well integrated. #El Cellar de Can Rocca #JubileTasting
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(Mostly) Spanish dinner (Chicago, IL): This feels far more shut down than my last experience with this wine; in fact it felt like we were only drinking the potential greatness of this wine today. Taut and primary, with lots of black fruit and leathery tannins on the finish. Impressive intensity and weight, but nowhere near developing even nascent secondary characteristics. Opening a bottle of this right now seems like a waste.
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Wonderful intensity and complexity. From opening and decanting (5 hours) to the end of drinking (another 90 mins) it changed in character from more fruity (red cherries, plums) to more woody and earthy to hints of mushrooms and peppers. Through all it maintained an intensity of taste and a minutes long finish. Certainly ready to drink now but you could save it for your grandchildren if you wanted.
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Sweet fruit, some vanilla (and overall quite a bit of oak), cherries, and red berries on the nose. Soft and plush on the palate with good structure and more red fruit and vanilla notes. Good finish. This wine felt a bit boring at first and heavy on the oak right now but got much more interesting and nuanced with air. Likely, this just needs time for everything to integrate. 94+
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After 90 minutes in the decanter, 04 Unico really comes alive and shows itself to be in a great spot, continuing to improve over the course of the night. A complex and layered bouquet of warm baked fruit, oak spice, saddle leather, mocha and dark chocolate waft from the glass. It’s elegant and seductive while at the same time powerful and intense. An incredible balance between the two. It expands on the palate with the silkiest of textures, soft tannins and a finish that goes on and on. A fantastic bottle with a stellar future.
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Si el aroma de este vino tuviera color y forma sería una pintura de Rubens, barroca, enfatizando el dinamismo, el color y la sensualidad, el carácter voluptuoso, espléndido, redondo, carnal, opulento y sensual que se apercibe en las musas que pintó.
Si la boca de este vino fuera música sería una obra de Juan Sebastián Bach, profunda, perfecta técnicamente : elaborada y cerebral , plena de belleza artística, polifónica y armónica al mismo tiempo, medida al milímetro, donde todo encaja perfectamente y nada desentona o sobresale y todo guarda un orden perfecto. Este vino es una muestra de la culminación de la pureza y manifestación de la divinidad.
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Reasonably approachable for an Unico of this age. Clearly will go the distance, a lot of body and depth, but it's no crime to drink now. This would be a good vintage for case purchase - enjoy now and follow along for 15 years. Opulent fruit, dark color, this is a fine vintage for Unico.
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Deep garnet red brick in color, the nose is light, has a touch of maple lumber freshly cut; deep, dark, red plum on the palate, has a restrained intensity, excellent acidity, fine but present tannins, subtle complexity here, which will certainly grow with bottle age. A deliciously intellectual wine.
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Tasted blind. Lovely depth and interesting nose of red fruit, herbs, and a hint of leather. Lots of acidity with great structural tannins, cherries, and tart fruit on the palate. Nice, long finish. Quite promising with a long life ahead. I would wait 10 years if I had another bottle, though. 93-94+
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Denmark September 2020 A very dear friend of mine was so kind to open another one of this, it's needs 2-3 hours of decant but you will be rewarded .. 3 time now, this is one of the best red wines produced the past 20 years, as previusly said this is a statement in wine making & terroir, as the 52/68/70/94 it remains to be the best balanced Unico produced, and it's just starts to enter the drinking window ... . next door we had a Comtesse 96 (95/100) it's is also great) but next to the Unico it' was lifeless .. . please taste this beauty when still aorund and not to 'pricy' it's a rare treat !! last time it's was in magnum, and if you own any I guess that you just have to forget those mags for 10 + years compared to 0,75 Drink 2020-2050
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No reason to wait anymore really, with 2 to 3 hrs decanting and a good glass (our new Riedel Sommelier tempranillo seem to be a good investment) this wine is just superb. The bouquet reveals a mature wine, mushrooms, tobacco, black tea, bay leafs, but also blackberries, prunes and dried mangos. What makes this wine unique is the mouth which is a surprise after that nose, very fresh and fruity, raspberries, roses, maybe even hay, and a great texture with well integrated tannins giving such a powerful yet elegant grip which is then followed by an intense and longlasting finish. Magnificent.
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Dark plum color, slight bricking on edge Nose is complex and layered revealing different notes as it opened: initially fruit cake, menthol, meat with ripe plum and black cherry notes and a little orange rind and then dried treee branch, balsamic dipped strawberries and sage. Complex and layered palate - fermented luzardo cherries, orange bitters, honeyed pound cake. Very polished. The fruit is fresh but very focused - almost a light version of an amazon. After 5 hours of air lots of chocolate covered raisins and very amazon-like.
Drank with a couple of friends in a remote cabin after a month of corona virus quarantine. A wine evaluation is often influenced by the setting and friends you share it with. That said, the is a tremendous wine, smooth and elegant. Yes it could age another decade, but you will not be disappointed with it now. Decanted for 3 1/2 hours.
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Short note as others have nailed the profile, just needs serious time to open up. I decanted for 3 hours and drunk over the next 2 and it was at its best as I finished it! My first of the 6 just taken in readiness for the great Coronavirus lockdown - along with hundreds of other bottles! But a fab wine - loved it.
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I last tried this in 2017 and the 3 years since then have really made a dramatic difference. The color is a deep black-mahogany, with a limpid consistency. On the nose the wine is distinctly gamey, with a complex and appealing mix of plums, porcini mushrooms, graphite, menthol, and just a hint of musk. The palate is soft and sweetly ripe, with firm acidity, supple tannins and a long finish. Outstanding!
As a remark, in 2017 the wine had an oaky aroma. This has integrated and shifted and become the attractive gamey note mentioned above.
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Very nice nose of wild game, sanglier, cerises griottes, sandalwood, forest floor... Perfectly mature, Bordeaux style, super elegant and silky tannins, cèpes de Bordeaux, cedar, ripe strawberries.
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Marchant blind tasting. Served in a pair next to the 1998. Dark ruby with purple hue, rich, ripe, lots of raspberry bonbon, toast, vanilla. The 1998 showed additional cassis notes. Ripe wines but the acidic balance works here. I rarely drink wines this ripe, so I was pretty clueless what it was. Wrote down “probably something like a Carrignan or Malbec from South America”. Unico it was. Score higher if you like this style.
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Great wine! Nose of earthiness, flowers and berries. This wins on structure! Beautiful to look at in the glass with slow moving legs. It is a winner go get you some.
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Decanted 3 hours. Still very young and seemed a bit closed at the moment. I guess this needs a few more years in the cellar. I will wait 2-4 years before I open the next bottle. 93-94 pts now
Wow. It smelled like the lobby of the Gramercy Park hotel. Dried flowers, incense, perfume, and a little glycerin nail polish. Unreal texture. Perfect acidity and tannin. Black cherry fruit, dirt road (red clay) and a lingering romantic finish. Truly an unreal wine. It will toy with 100 in a few years. Highest unequivocal recommendation.
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Uncorked 12 hours (with immediate reseal to allow slow and minimal oxidation) before serving into Zalto Burgundy glass (“Fruit” day): Medium bright ruby with garnet rims.
On nose very detailed red berry fruits, leather and florals. No hints of oak almost. Deep.
Highly mineral and great acidity structure. Tannin structure is almost perfect. Long lingering finish.
Very elegant and yet powerful wine. 93-94 points.
Need longer term observation.
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Far too early (big surprise), but behind the American oak and chewy tannin lies a powerful core of ripe red fruit, leather and a mélange of floral notes, showing great promise indeed.
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Pausing for the Cause (S.K.Y. Restaurant - Chicago IL): Small glass, brief note. Decanted for over an hour before tasting. Still slightly oaky and tannic, but there is so much powerful fruit with intense concentration and spice. Needs a decade in the cellar to show its full potential, but this is a beauty. Better potential than the '99 in the next glass, even if that wine is more enjoyable tonight.
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Pausing for the Cause 2018 (Chicago, IL): First off, I'm incredibly pleased I own these. However, this is nowhere near ready. The nose and palate are still incredibly primary, with the American oak poking through really strongly in the form of some coconut. The palate shows the oak too, but the intensity of the fruit here manages to carry it. Tannins are a little rough on the back end still. Give this time. I've no doubt this will be a worthy wine.
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Many savory herbs with this. Needs 2+ hours decant to soften hard tannins which surprisingly are still present after 14 years. Fantastic Ribera del Duero
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Petite paranthèse...Jamais été impressionné par cette cuvée, très couteuse...surtout les plus vieux millésime...me souvient d'une bouteille au resto O'thym de Montréal avec des FOUDUVIN...sur le tertiaire et assez dilué, certains aime ce profil, pas moi car il y a pleins de petits Bordeaux qui goute ça avec 20-30 ans dans le corps...au prix du UNICO on s'attend à pas mal plus de complexité et de chair. Je dois avouer que celle-ci était bien...en jeunesse! Beau fruit, boisé appuyé mais pas à outrance, très long en finale. Bien aimé avec les plât de Gibier bien relevé, il n'a pas bronché.
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Nose: mint, dark cherry , vanilla Palate : very smooth, tannin well polished, lively dark cherry fruit, intermixed with vanilla , with nice acidity backbone. Subtle expression of modern tempranillo and elegantly executed. Oak well intergrated, Long life ahead. Needa long opening time before if you wanna open one.
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The wine didn't stand out next to the trio of 95 first growth Bordeaux, the 90 Grange and the 97 La Landonne (tough competition admittedly). This is dark and feels very closed and inaccessible. No expression or nose. Seems to be in an awkward closed phase. Hopefully it will come out at the other end.
Rich dark fruit with a level of depth that blows away the nearby vintages. Distinct notes of fig and limestone. Worth putting some away for a while. 94+
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Medium purple, with a lovely nose of blackberries, caramel, red licorice and allspice. The wine is soft but has a striking balance between the fruit (ripe but not overripe), acids (modest for a Spanish red) and tannins, with a very clean, mineral-inflected finish that lasts a minute or more. A response to those who think oak should lurk in the background: here, the oak is very evident, yet it works. Mature now, but will hold for a decade or longer.
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Flash note. A flash note is one that I distinctly remember the quality/overall rating of a wine but can’t give specifics because the tasting note was not written at time of tasting.
Excellent wine. Impressed everyone at a grad party. It stood above the Flor de Pingus today.
Highest recommendation
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Hedonistic in the best way. Rich red and dark fruits. Carmelized sugar. Aromatically beautiful and lush on the palate. Tannins still have grip. This is in a great place at the moment and I will wait a couple years before opening another.
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Unico tasting (27 different vintages) at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival 2017: full deep violett; vanilla, oak and cherry; lots of tannins. 92++/100 points.
This excellent Unico has just reached Kindergarden age. There is much potential present to develop into an outstanding wine eventually.
Vintages 4th flight: 2000-2002-2003-2004-2007
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December 2016 From magnum, this is the most massive young Vega I have ever tasted, looking back the 1994 was a big baby but this seems to have 25% more of everthing thing and it is more modern than the 1994 was ten years ago. 3 time I try this over the past 2 years, If you have some you better forget about it at least another 8 years. Time will tell if it goes to 100/100, at the moment it is difficult to see through the structure/tannins/fruit, it is allready stunning, so it might go to be one ot the greatest Vega's of all time.
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Vega Sicilia Unico Dinner with Pablo Alvarez (Betony): Comparable to nose on the '07 but less over the top. Striking tannin and drinking very very dry. Winemaker and owner say this should theoretically be the best of the three in the first flight. It is certainly huge, just hard to get over how dry it is. New French and American oak... from Ohio. Appropriately described by one guest as a 'beast'.
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After decanted 2h. Young, with giant potential. Not rustic like older vintages in the first stage of evolution. Until now, the best Unico of 21 century. Wait 5-10y
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Drunk in Hawksmoor Air Street after a short decant. Should have really had this opened longer but the nose was still massive - cedar, leather and chocolate. Really long finish without being too tannic. Delicious stuff.
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Huge nose of ripe black fruit, cedar wood, iodine, sandalwood... very long aftertaste of 30 sec, black cherries, super silky tannins, steak BBQ sauce... I just love it!!
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Drank at 67 Still young with some slight tannins. Rich concentrated body with toffee and plush red fruit. Some people will love this style and some people will not (similar to the 2000). I like it.
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Nose of dark chocolate, sandalwood, cèpes de Bordeaux, ripe red and black fruit... WOW super concentrated ripe red fruit, loads of super silky tannins, lenght of 30 sec, beautiful wine!!
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Part of an outstanding vertical tasting at 67 Pall Mall. We had the privilege of trying 15 vintages of Unico from 1980 to 2007, and my personal favourite turned out to be the 2004 (although the prime time 1986 was a very close second). The wine is still in its infancy stage and just starting to show its amazing potential. Boasting a deep crimson core it is packed with vibrant aromas of toasted caramel, damp forest floor, black currant and fresh picked flowers. It is medium to full bodied and soft as silk as it envelops the palate with delightfully intertwined layers of cassis, vanilla, tobacco leaf and cedar wood. All of this on the backdrop of an exquisite minerality which makes the wine even more "Unico". The velvety finish lingers on and on. The 2004 needs more time to blossom; let it cruise in the cellar for another 2 to 3 years, and enjoy it over the next 2 decades. A stunner!
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Pure infanticide. Should have aerated in decanted 5-6 hours instead of a measly one hour. Would like to re-rate this wine with a proper decant, but being a big Unico fan the 04 is one of their excellent vintages.
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Immediately after opening it shows dark cherries, vanilla, sweet tobacco and sweet cookies. After 2-3 hours it is more dried blackberry, a lot of spices, raw wood, smoke, coffee and hints of hay. Both nose and flavour intensity is pronounced and it has a long concentrated finish. Incredible balance.
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Sedductive nose of chocolate brioche, wild cherries, vanilla and cream. On the plate this is perfectly balanced with not the slightes little bit disturbing the structure. Beautiful integrated oak and impressive lenght. Only just enterig the drinking window. Plenty of life ahead.
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An alluring combination of depth and elegance. Plays on a wide registry and shows impressive complexity even in this youthful stage. Spices, dark fruit with a beautiful blueberry note, and well balanced without disturbance from unruly tannins or abused oak. It's a great wine.
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(at Hisop - Barcelona) First experience with this wine and I am completely impressed. Medium body and color. Soaring aromatics that are beautiful, refined, warm and complex. Palate is youthful yet regal. Will be brilliant with more age. A stunner. (97+)
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A very nice structured wine that reminds me a lot of a Bordeaux. Showing power, complexity and youth at the same time. Could probably be kept in the cellar for a long time but very pleasant to drink right now.
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Vega-Sicilia with Pablo Álvarez (Tenzing, Chicago): Crimson color. Stunning nose of anise, spicy fruit, charcoal. Gorgeous palate with pure, gentle fruit flavors accented by a somewhat hot finish. Eye-opening wine for the complexity of aromas and flavors, and the purity and elegance of the palate. Obviously superior to the 2002 and equal to the excellent 2003. Will likely remain lively for a decade or more.
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Vega Sicilia Dinner with Pablo Alvarez (Tenzing - Chicago IL): Dense and massive to start with lots of black berries and intense spice throughout. Lush start followed by great energy, lightening the weight, making this an elegant rock star wine. Give this a decade in the cellar and enjoy through your lifetime+.
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Only one glass, right out of the bottle. Great structure, but seemed very young. I think it would be much better with a few hours decant (that's why i don't give a rating...if i have to it would be 94-96). I will wait a few years before i open a bottle.
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My first Unico. What a luxurious wine. The overall impression is warmth and smoothness. Dark plums and chocolate notes. Age will improve it but this was just great as it is right now.
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Vega Sicilia Tasting (Wine World, Seattle, WA): Toast, smoke and tobacco. Full and elegant with soft, sweet fruit, cedar, and spice. Very fine tannins. More structured than the 2003, and overall quite nice.
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This has to be one the youngest 10 year old wines I have tasted. Fantastic potential for further evolution. Rich, deep, complex and long. Wait another 6 years. Drink 2020-2035. Preliminary assessment 94-97. [Justerini Spain tasting event Sep 1, London]
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Tasted from the bottle, without decanting, and after trying a younger and fruitier "Pintia." Complex, complete, balanced, round, strong, etc., the fruit is sharp but blends with the wood, which is very subtle. I think this is much better than a 92 but the tasting was quick and without sufficient time for the wine to settle...
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Ib Bergkjćr in may (Frederiksberg): Much too young. What else can I say? Very dark, very tight, very concentrated, a majestic wine that will certainly come around in, say, ten years. 94+.
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Una niña.no es sólo por esa nariz barroca... Me gustó mucho, elegante y aristocrática. Realmente única. La boca es más que nunca, como tiene que ser. ¡Quiero una caja entera!
Vega Sicilia Unicos + more (The Modern): Not yet commercially released. A huge wine, with incredibly ripe and concentrated sweet black fruit and tons of acid/tannic structure underneath it. Very unusual for me to see a wine where the fruit is this ripe without being too sweet and with that much structure. This is a baby and I imagine it will ultimately be fantastic but judging by how young the 89 tastes right now it's going to take a long, long time to get there.
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4/13/2024 - Romol wrote: flawed
The fill level and cork were perfect but unfortunately, this bottle had a slightly oxidized taste. Too bad, but the wine was still pretty good. A rating would not be fair under these conditions.
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2/11/2024 - King Julien wrote: 96 Points
Decanted about 2 hours, which it needed to open up. Fairly consistent with past notes, some bottles slightly better than others. Paired perfectly with grilled venison backstrap.
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2/9/2024 - BottleScholar Likes this wine:
Rich comforting pronounced aromas. Flavors of ripe black cherry, red cherry, black plum, toast, dill, clove, dried black plum, vanilla, dried leaves, brown mushroom, and dried tobacco. M+ concentration. Pronounced intensity. M+ integrated acid. High tannins have polymerized to be especially soft, polished, and velvety, to where I wouldn’t mind if there was just a bit more texture. Full bodied, but not loud—it quietly commands the room. Long finish. Drinking nicely. It can continue to age, but I would enjoy it now, while it has the current balance of primary and tertiary fruit. I would savor a sip when poured, and then slowly begin enjoying the glass an hour later as it evolves in the glass. For this vintage, I didn't need to wait two hours, but others prefer to give it more time to breath. It’s outstanding and iconic, with pricing driven by supply and demand. Nonetheless, at this price, the QPR isn’t there for me personally.
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1/1/2024 - HENNO1 wrote: 93 Points
A big brooding wine which even after long decant was very strong and powerful. I’d leave for several years yet as I think it will be stunning when it has had a little more time
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11/12/2023 - King Julien wrote: 97 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Consistent with previous notes. Very smooth, great nose, well-integrated, and a pleasure to drink.
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10/17/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Vega Sicilia Unico Dinner with Pablo Alvarez (Asador Bastian - Chicago IL): In 02/04/05/08 flight of infanticide. Certainly the most accessible of the flight (the only one I would consider accessible) with gobs of black cherry, plum, and roasted beef ribs with a savory spice rub. Long and elegant, this is also still firm in the middle, but so composed and engaging.
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10/17/2023 - Nanda wrote:
Acker Vega Sicilia dinner with Pablo Álvarez (Asador Bastian): 02/04/05/08. The most interesting and approachable of the flight but nowhere close to peak drinking even if this is showing some signs of approachability with its open-knit fruit.
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9/9/2023 - King Julien wrote: 97 Points
Decanted about 2 hours. Great nose, palate complexity, very smooth.
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6/24/2023 - soyhead wrote:
tasted blind, and after a lineup of other rich reds, thus this ashamedly got less than full attention. full fruited, and rich, but still young. I recall having the '02 more than a year ago which was more resolved. Hold.
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6/10/2023 - BottleScholar wrote: flawed
Corked
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6/6/2023 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
TOP SHELF WINE WEEKEND: Red cherry, strawberry, and leather dominate the profile here. A bit of funk, tobacco leaf, and earth rise to the surface, making for an older-world profile, which is also heightened by the near-twenty-year age of this Unico. For my palate, this went into the “unique” category. I don’t have much reference points here, so my assessment of it is really just based on where it landed on my palate given everything else going on amongst a sea of other heavy hitters. I had to go back to this a few times to truly appreciate it. It felt almost like trying to fully realize the accolades of a Grand Cru red Burgundy while being placed in a lineup of top shelf Napa Cabs. Drinking the Unico next to such palate-benders is an exercise in constantly recalibrating an already ping-ponging palate. I would have loved to kick back with just this wine over the course of an evening with my Vizsla Sparticus and a copy of some weathered rag by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
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5/28/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Best of the World Wine Night (ex-Italy) (The csimm_M Estate): Well, this tasting was billed as “New World” wines, but when I got to the tasting island and saw this and the Grange, I gave them a gimlet eyed stare, knowing that these bucket list wines would jump near the front of the line, just after the Lafleurs and Harlan, what with sfwl being accused, not entirely wrongly, of having an Old World palate. That said, my knowledge of Iberian wines is rather weak, despite last spring’s adventures in Rioja and the Douro Valley, and could probably captured on a page about as long as the page entitled “Jewish Sports Legends” given to Leslie Nielsen, to those peers of mine, when he needed something to read while awaited admittance to restroom. And this is my kind of an Old World wine, with still lots of bright fruit—more dark cherries to my palate than the red fruit my fellow CTers found—and relatively relaxed structure. With Riojas and Priorats, if anything, I’ve found them too often too tilted to a New World style, with a bit too prominent oak and vanilla. But no such problem in this immaculately balanced, completely integrated and elegant wine, with just enough power and persistence to make this truly world class. I’m somewhere in between my fellow CTers in thinking this at the tail end of its peak drinking window, if anything just past, approaching the point where suppleness starts turning into softness. I’m not sure I went back to this wine after that initial taste—it may have been long gone by the time I started revisiting tastes anyway—so I can’t say how this did, or how another bottle of this would, hold up with more aeration (nor to what extent this was aerated before I had my taste), but my sense is that you’d want to do something close to a PnP at this point, and if you have an unopened bottle, if not drinking now, doing so sooner than later, at least, as IRBDW points out, if you want the fruit to reign over the secondary notes (CT window of 2034 seems very optimistic). I loved the way the CS affected the Tempranillo here, giving more backbone than I’d expect, but I understand that the percentage has dropped significantly from here. This is a pricey pour (as an aside, bless Eva Longoria’s little heart for drinking this and not Caymus or worse, some silly Rose; as I said in a note for Cristal, even the not particularly sophisticated rich can be right sometimes), but to my mind, held very competitively with more or less price peers like the Colgins and Abreus, above, and again, this is IMO only, Scarecrow and Mag 7 (yeah, I know, completely different kinds of wines, quality aside). To whomever brought this—IRBDW, I suspect—a huge thank you, as I’d never been in the same zip code as an open bottle of this, and I suspect my opportunities going forward, short of buying one, which I’d certainly consider, will be more limited than with most of these quaffs. I knew we’d be drinking the most exceptional American wines, but having this, Grange and the ‘18 Lafleur turned this from excellent to extraordinary. 98-99
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5/28/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wild and Crazy Memorial Weekend - Sunday (Chris' Castle aka Melissa's Manor): As I read through other CT notes, not sure where some others are coming from re: dead fruit...I have thought lots of older wines were dead, even where others thought there was plenty of fruit, but I never imagined I would ever be on the other side of that table, unless it is just bottle variation. For me, this had lots of fruit, to the point I would say that it was fruit dominated, but there is a very nice balance here between fruit and the tertiary flavors I enjoy....in short, for me, this wine is in the zone right now where there is a great balance between fruit and tertiary flavors, and for me, this even leans slightly on the fruit side of the scale (which is perfect!)
2004 Unico - Nice nose with cherry, leather, earth and forest floor. Palate shows layers of red and dark fruit, with earth and mushroom, sweet tobacco and graphite, and some tar and toasted oak. The American oak is nicely integrated and the wine shows no heat and a plush mouthfeel that goes down oh so easy. I can't imagine this wine drinking any better than it is now for my palate, but should hold here for a few more years....another wine I would say to open when the situation presents itself, I can't imagine disappointment whether now or with the next couple years. For those looking for most tertiary flavors, you can wait another 5 years....for those who still want a fair amount of fruit, drink up within the next 1-2 years. Easy 97 for me!
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5/28/2023 - bsumoba wrote:
Memorial Madness at Case de Chris y Melissa - Day 2 of 2: My first experience with this “Eva Longoria Table Wine”. I guess she can afford $400 dollar table wine from her acting career. Very earth driven wine with a good backbone of fruit. Very good wine and interesting to taste but seeing as though it was amongst a plethora of Napa cabs, that could have been the issue...
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5/28/2023 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 96 Points
Memorial Day Weekend, Day 2: The Great Gatsby: On the nose was a pleasant aroma of gentle cigar wrappings (or dried tobacco leaves) with gentle red fruits, and a dry dusty earth note.
On the palate was an interesting and surprisingly clean, dry red earth as if the ground was made up mostly of clay, accompanied by lighter, swift red fruits that run across the palate.
This was good and I hate to keep thinking how I would've loved to enjoy this much younger. Would've loved to taste straight from the pour, allowing it air time and following along. But I wouldn't know, this could also gain more pizazz with some more time.
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4/22/2023 - King Julien wrote: 96 Points
Decanted about 2 hours.
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4/5/2023 - StefanAkiko Does not like this wine:
(I really didn't like this bottle. Something totally off. Overly oxidized. A far cry from what it should have been. Rudy and his friends?)
No score.
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4/5/2023 - chatters wrote:
Cellartracker in the flesh with Stefan (Stefan's office, Hongodai): "Served blind.
M-I Meaty gamey slightly off notes initially, earth, leather, red berried fruit in support. Slightly sour red berry fruit, slight alcohol warmth, talc textured persistent drying tannins, a little chalky minerality.
Old, Italy? 1990's"
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12/30/2022 - King Julien wrote: 96 Points
Decanted about 2 hours. While still very nice, it lacked the nose of the bottle tasted about a month ago, even though both came from the same case and were prepared the same. Palate was still quite nice though. Another example of bottle variance.
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12/19/2022 - ralaspech wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at Heinen's. Brick colored. Nose fairly closed but some dried cherry, oak and leather. Palate also closed. Dried cherry, cocoa, leather and plenty of oak. Acidity and tannins dominated the finish. Don't where this is going, but not a fan of where it is, esp at this price.
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11/26/2022 - King Julien wrote: 97 Points
Decanted about 2 hours. Amazing nose, smooth and well integrated palate. Heaven for a couple hours until gone.
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10/20/2022 - lolo66 wrote: 94 Points
tightly wound but with so much going on. Highly concentrated with an incredible pure cherry note coming through. THe spices, herbs, and acidity are all there but compacted at present.
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9/6/2022 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
Chocolate galore here. Smooth rich, full bodied, yet en danseuse, elegant, very convincing in that way. Tannins are smooth, well integrated.
#El Cellar de Can Rocca #JubileTasting
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9/4/2022 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
(Mostly) Spanish dinner (Chicago, IL): This feels far more shut down than my last experience with this wine; in fact it felt like we were only drinking the potential greatness of this wine today. Taut and primary, with lots of black fruit and leathery tannins on the finish. Impressive intensity and weight, but nowhere near developing even nascent secondary characteristics. Opening a bottle of this right now seems like a waste.
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9/2/2022 - Wuhan Joe Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful intensity and complexity. From opening and decanting (5 hours) to the end of drinking (another 90 mins) it changed in character from more fruity (red cherries, plums) to more woody and earthy to hints of mushrooms and peppers. Through all it maintained an intensity of taste and a minutes long finish. Certainly ready to drink now but you could save it for your grandchildren if you wanted.
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8/14/2022 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sweet fruit, some vanilla (and overall quite a bit of oak), cherries, and red berries on the nose. Soft and plush on the palate with good structure and more red fruit and vanilla notes. Good finish. This wine felt a bit boring at first and heavy on the oak right now but got much more interesting and nuanced with air. Likely, this just needs time for everything to integrate. 94+
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6/2/2022 - aaslanian Likes this wine: 96 Points
always amazing Dark blue fruit, can go for decades.
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5/25/2022 - Romol Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hours. A very good Unico. This still has a long life ahead. I'm curious how this will be wirh more age. 94+ pts. at the moment.
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3/27/2022 - King Julien wrote: 96 Points
Decanted about 1.5 hours.
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3/4/2022 - finediningnyc Likes this wine: 95 Points
After 90 minutes in the decanter, 04 Unico really comes alive and shows itself to be in a great spot, continuing to improve over the course of the night. A complex and layered bouquet of warm baked fruit, oak spice, saddle leather, mocha and dark chocolate waft from the glass. It’s elegant and seductive while at the same time powerful and intense. An incredible balance between the two. It expands on the palate with the silkiest of textures, soft tannins and a finish that goes on and on. A fantastic bottle with a stellar future.
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2/4/2022 - chbeaumont wrote: 94 Points
Good colour; shapely, svelte, weighty, tremendous depth of fruit. Yet to peak. Needs time to mellow. Overshadowed by the '60, drunk alongside.
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12/5/2021 - FEDEVIDAL Likes this wine: 99 Points
Si el aroma de este vino tuviera color y forma sería una pintura de Rubens, barroca, enfatizando el dinamismo, el color y la sensualidad, el carácter voluptuoso, espléndido, redondo, carnal, opulento y sensual que se apercibe en las musas que pintó.
Si la boca de este vino fuera música sería una obra de Juan Sebastián Bach, profunda, perfecta técnicamente : elaborada y cerebral , plena de belleza artística, polifónica y armónica al mismo tiempo, medida al milímetro, donde todo encaja perfectamente y nada desentona o sobresale y todo guarda un orden perfecto. Este vino es una muestra de la culminación de la pureza y manifestación de la divinidad.
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12/3/2021 - P257pax wrote: 94 Points
Somewhat muted, a great wine in the making though. Pencil, dark fruit on the palate. Wait 5 years.
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10/14/2021 - Alex G. Likes this wine:
Reasonably approachable for an Unico of this age. Clearly will go the distance, a lot of body and depth, but it's no crime to drink now. This would be a good vintage for case purchase - enjoy now and follow along for 15 years. Opulent fruit, dark color, this is a fine vintage for Unico.
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5/22/2021 - King Julien wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Weak nose but palate was quite nice, further evolving with complexity over the 2 hours following.
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4/19/2021 - Waidk Likes this wine: 91 Points
Expected more from this wine. Faded rather quickly after a promising start.
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2/24/2021 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wine with friends: day-after tobacco, pencil lead, leather
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2/2/2021 - alanr wrote: 93 Points
Deep garnet red brick in color, the nose is light, has a touch of maple lumber freshly cut; deep, dark, red plum on the palate, has a restrained intensity, excellent acidity, fine but present tannins, subtle complexity here, which will certainly grow with bottle age. A deliciously intellectual wine.
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2/1/2021 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted blind. Lovely depth and interesting nose of red fruit, herbs, and a hint of leather. Lots of acidity with great structural tannins, cherries, and tart fruit on the palate. Nice, long finish. Quite promising with a long life ahead. I would wait 10 years if I had another bottle, though. 93-94+
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11/28/2020 - In2wines Likes this wine: 98 Points
Denmark September 2020
A very dear friend of mine was so kind to open another one of this, it's needs 2-3 hours of decant but you will be rewarded .. 3 time now, this is one of the best red wines produced the past 20 years, as previusly said this is a statement in wine making & terroir, as the 52/68/70/94 it remains to be the best balanced Unico produced, and it's just starts to enter the drinking window ... . next door we had a Comtesse 96 (95/100) it's is also great) but next to the Unico it' was lifeless .. . please taste this beauty when still aorund and not to 'pricy' it's a rare treat !! last time it's was in magnum, and if you own any I guess that you just have to forget those mags for 10 + years compared to 0,75
Drink 2020-2050
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9/20/2020 - Trinkreif Likes this wine: 96 Points
No reason to wait anymore really, with 2 to 3 hrs decanting and a good glass (our new Riedel Sommelier tempranillo seem to be a good investment) this wine is just superb. The bouquet reveals a mature wine, mushrooms, tobacco, black tea, bay leafs, but also blackberries, prunes and dried mangos. What makes this wine unique is the mouth which is a surprise after that nose, very fresh and fruity, raspberries, roses, maybe even hay, and a great texture with well integrated tannins giving such a powerful yet elegant grip which is then followed by an intense and longlasting finish. Magnificent.
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9/10/2020 - unionst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark plum color, slight bricking on edge
Nose is complex and layered revealing different notes as it opened: initially fruit cake, menthol, meat with ripe plum and black cherry notes and a little orange rind and then dried treee branch, balsamic dipped strawberries and sage.
Complex and layered palate - fermented luzardo cherries, orange bitters, honeyed pound cake. Very polished. The fruit is fresh but very focused - almost a light version of an amazon.
After 5 hours of air lots of chocolate covered raisins and very amazon-like.
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7/4/2020 - llapuerta Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for three hours. Great nose and color. Delicious and smooth. Ready for drinking now. Went well with paella
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4/21/2020 - yukoner Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank with a couple of friends in a remote cabin after a month of corona virus quarantine. A wine evaluation is often influenced by the setting and friends you share it with. That said, the is a tremendous wine, smooth and elegant. Yes it could age another decade, but you will not be disappointed with it now. Decanted for 3 1/2 hours.
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3/17/2020 - DonDon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Short note as others have nailed the profile, just needs serious time to open up. I decanted for 3 hours and drunk over the next 2 and it was at its best as I finished it! My first of the 6 just taken in readiness for the great Coronavirus lockdown - along with hundreds of other bottles! But a fab wine - loved it.
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2/22/2020 - Kunist Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very fresh with balanced fruity acids. Some tannines to balance. Very long. A real pleasure!
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2/16/2020 - Philippe_C wrote: 95 Points
Nice cigar box, sous-bois, mushrooms.. Very long aftertaste, quite feminine, fresh red berries, good lenght.
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2/1/2020 - King Julien wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 4 hours.
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1/19/2020 - KPB wrote: 98 Points
I last tried this in 2017 and the 3 years since then have really made a dramatic difference. The color is a deep black-mahogany, with a limpid consistency. On the nose the wine is distinctly gamey, with a complex and appealing mix of plums, porcini mushrooms, graphite, menthol, and just a hint of musk. The palate is soft and sweetly ripe, with firm acidity, supple tannins and a long finish. Outstanding!
As a remark, in 2017 the wine had an oaky aroma. This has integrated and shifted and become the attractive gamey note mentioned above.
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12/15/2019 - Philippe_C wrote: 97 Points
Very nice nose of wild game, sanglier, cerises griottes, sandalwood, forest floor... Perfectly mature, Bordeaux style, super elegant and silky tannins, cèpes de Bordeaux, cedar, ripe strawberries.
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10/19/2019 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
Marchant blind tasting. Served in a pair next to the 1998. Dark ruby with purple hue, rich, ripe, lots of raspberry bonbon, toast, vanilla. The 1998 showed additional cassis notes. Ripe wines but the acidic balance works here. I rarely drink wines this ripe, so I was pretty clueless what it was. Wrote down “probably something like a Carrignan or Malbec from South America”. Unico it was. Score higher if you like this style.
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7/2/2019 - King Julien wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hours.
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6/8/2019 - rashcar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great wine! Nose of earthiness, flowers and berries. This wins on structure! Beautiful to look at in the glass with slow moving legs. It is a winner go get you some.
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5/4/2019 - Miceri Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium red; smokey nose, a little pepper, blueberry; rounded, well tasting, really good but for Unico standard on the lesser side
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2/22/2019 - Romol Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Still very young and seemed a bit closed at the moment. I guess this needs a few more years in the cellar. I will wait 2-4 years before I open the next bottle. 93-94 pts now
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2/22/2019 - MWiking wrote: 98 Points
more or less perfect!
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2/9/2019 - J-Sho Likes this wine: 94 Points
medium garnet color with aromas of cedar, dried flowers, red fruit and earth. Medium weighted palate with integrated tannins offering a nice structure
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12/19/2018 - eschaefer Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wow. It smelled like the lobby of the Gramercy Park hotel. Dried flowers, incense, perfume, and a little glycerin nail polish. Unreal texture. Perfect acidity and tannin. Black cherry fruit, dirt road (red clay) and a lingering romantic finish. Truly an unreal wine. It will toy with 100 in a few years. Highest unequivocal recommendation.
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12/12/2018 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Alas, corked!
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11/29/2018 - Tony Ling Likes this wine:
Uncorked 12 hours (with immediate reseal to allow slow and minimal oxidation) before serving into Zalto Burgundy glass (“Fruit” day): Medium bright ruby with garnet rims.
On nose very detailed red berry fruits, leather and florals. No hints of oak almost. Deep.
Highly mineral and great acidity structure. Tannin structure is almost perfect. Long lingering finish.
Very elegant and yet powerful wine. 93-94 points.
Need longer term observation.
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11/10/2018 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 94 Points
Far too early (big surprise), but behind the American oak and chewy tannin lies a powerful core of ripe red fruit, leather and a mélange of floral notes, showing great promise indeed.
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9/24/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Pausing for the Cause (S.K.Y. Restaurant - Chicago IL): Small glass, brief note. Decanted for over an hour before tasting. Still slightly oaky and tannic, but there is so much powerful fruit with intense concentration and spice. Needs a decade in the cellar to show its full potential, but this is a beauty. Better potential than the '99 in the next glass, even if that wine is more enjoyable tonight.
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9/24/2018 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Pausing for the Cause 2018 (Chicago, IL): First off, I'm incredibly pleased I own these. However, this is nowhere near ready. The nose and palate are still incredibly primary, with the American oak poking through really strongly in the form of some coconut. The palate shows the oak too, but the intensity of the fruit here manages to carry it. Tannins are a little rough on the back end still. Give this time. I've no doubt this will be a worthy wine.
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8/25/2018 - rylanreynolds wrote: 94 Points
Many savory herbs with this. Needs 2+ hours decant to soften hard tannins which surprisingly are still present after 14 years. Fantastic Ribera del Duero
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8/24/2018 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Petite paranthèse...Jamais été impressionné par cette cuvée, très couteuse...surtout les plus vieux millésime...me souvient d'une bouteille au resto O'thym de Montréal avec des FOUDUVIN...sur le tertiaire et assez dilué, certains aime ce profil, pas moi car il y a pleins de petits Bordeaux qui goute ça avec 20-30 ans dans le corps...au prix du UNICO on s'attend à pas mal plus de complexité et de chair.
Je dois avouer que celle-ci était bien...en jeunesse!
Beau fruit, boisé appuyé mais pas à outrance, très long en finale.
Bien aimé avec les plât de Gibier bien relevé, il n'a pas bronché.
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8/11/2018 - SlimShaney wrote: 92 Points
Somewhere between 87 and 90 for enjoyment and somewhere around 93-94 for craftsmanship.
Perfectly balanced, like a farmer with with a sharp scythe.
Deep vegetal mash with a splash of cola.
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5/18/2018 - KCC320 wrote: 94 Points
Nose: mint, dark cherry , vanilla
Palate : very smooth, tannin well polished, lively dark cherry fruit, intermixed with vanilla , with nice acidity backbone.
Subtle expression of modern tempranillo and elegantly executed. Oak well intergrated,
Long life ahead. Needa long opening time before if you wanna open one.
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4/7/2018 - gastonduhart wrote: 94 Points
What a gift to be able to join this wine...speechless even... well balanced, strong but distinctive flavors
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3/15/2018 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Tight, even with decant. Needs rest.
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3/5/2018 - wineguy75 wrote: 91 Points
Agree with NYwine68. Despite a 4 hour decant, very muted and closed. Going to wait several years before trying another bottle.
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12/19/2017 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine didn't stand out next to the trio of 95 first growth Bordeaux, the 90 Grange and the 97 La Landonne (tough competition admittedly). This is dark and feels very closed and inaccessible. No expression or nose. Seems to be in an awkward closed phase. Hopefully it will come out at the other end.
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8/30/2017 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep and brooding. Just so young and so much fruit and everything else. Dark purple color. Right now big and broad. Has upside but needs decades.
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8/29/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich dark fruit with a level of depth that blows away the nearby vintages. Distinct notes of fig and limestone. Worth putting some away for a while. 94+
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8/24/2017 - Corgi wrote:
At this monument, a big jammy wine in need of seriously long cellaring. Grassy notes and menthol.
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8/12/2017 - King Julien wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Heavy tannins. Plenty of future potential.
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7/17/2017 - KPB wrote: 94 Points
Medium purple, with a lovely nose of blackberries, caramel, red licorice and allspice. The wine is soft but has a striking balance between the fruit (ripe but not overripe), acids (modest for a Spanish red) and tannins, with a very clean, mineral-inflected finish that lasts a minute or more. A response to those who think oak should lurk in the background: here, the oak is very evident, yet it works. Mature now, but will hold for a decade or longer.
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6/23/2017 - eschaefer Likes this wine: 96 Points
Flash note. A flash note is one that I distinctly remember the quality/overall rating of a wine but can’t give specifics because the tasting note was not written at time of tasting.
Excellent wine. Impressed everyone at a grad party. It stood above the Flor de Pingus today.
Highest recommendation
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2/26/2017 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Hedonistic in the best way.
Rich red and dark fruits. Carmelized sugar.
Aromatically beautiful and lush on the palate.
Tannins still have grip.
This is in a great place at the moment and I will wait a couple years before opening another.
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2/24/2017 - Fatty Cat wrote: 92 Points
Unico tasting (27 different vintages) at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival 2017: full deep violett; vanilla, oak and cherry; lots of tannins. 92++/100 points.
This excellent Unico has just reached Kindergarden age. There is much potential present to develop into an outstanding wine eventually.
Vintages 4th flight: 2000-2002-2003-2004-2007
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1/10/2017 - mikerando Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is a "wow" wine. Very complex, perfect texture, great nose, wish I had more
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12/30/2016 - In2wines Likes this wine: 97 Points
December 2016
From magnum, this is the most massive young Vega I have ever tasted, looking back the 1994 was a big baby but this seems to have 25% more of everthing thing and it is more modern than the 1994 was ten years ago.
3 time I try this over the past 2 years, If you have some you better forget about it at least another 8 years.
Time will tell if it goes to 100/100, at the moment it is difficult to see through the structure/tannins/fruit, it is allready stunning, so it might go to be one ot the greatest Vega's of all time.
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11/16/2016 - King Julien wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 3 hours.
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10/19/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 89 Points
Vega Sicilia Unico Dinner with Pablo Alvarez (Betony): Comparable to nose on the '07 but less over the top. Striking tannin and drinking very very dry. Winemaker and owner say this should theoretically be the best of the three in the first flight. It is certainly huge, just hard to get over how dry it is. New French and American oak... from Ohio. Appropriately described by one guest as a 'beast'.
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9/18/2016 - giba ochman Likes this wine: 95 Points
After decanted 2h. Young, with giant potential. Not rustic like older vintages in the first stage of evolution. Until now, the best Unico of 21 century. Wait 5-10y
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9/10/2016 - Ianthemac Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drunk in Hawksmoor Air Street after a short decant. Should have really had this opened longer but the nose was still massive - cedar, leather and chocolate. Really long finish without being too tannic. Delicious stuff.
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8/20/2016 - Philippe_C wrote: 96 Points
Huge nose of ripe black fruit, cedar wood, iodine, sandalwood... very long aftertaste of 30 sec, black cherries, super silky tannins, steak BBQ sauce... I just love it!!
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6/7/2016 - RayOB Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank at 67
Still young with some slight tannins. Rich concentrated body with toffee and plush red fruit. Some people will love this style and some people will not (similar to the 2000). I like it.
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4/24/2016 - Philippe_C wrote: 96 Points
Nose of dark chocolate, sandalwood, cèpes de Bordeaux, ripe red and black fruit... WOW super concentrated ripe red fruit, loads of super silky tannins, lenght of 30 sec, beautiful wine!!
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4/14/2016 - bitdrerik Likes this wine: 95 Points
Vega Sicilia master class. Zita Rojkovitch ásamt Vínskólanum og Beri ehf. (Hótel Reykjavík Centrum, Aðalstræti 16): Smá brúnir tónar í jaðri. Jarðartónar í ilmi. Kirsuber og smá vanilla í bragði. Svakaleg tannín. Mikil sýra en samt frábært jafnvægi. Ótrúlega gott vín. Líklega rétt að detta inn í drykkjarglugga. Gæti jafnvel átt eftir að hækka um 1 til 2 punkta með meiri þroska.
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11/15/2015 - DSR wrote: 93 Points
Great fruit and concentration. Moderate+ finish.
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11/5/2015 - Wineguy76 wrote: 97 Points
Part of an outstanding vertical tasting at 67 Pall Mall. We had the privilege of trying 15 vintages of Unico from 1980 to 2007, and my personal favourite turned out to be the 2004 (although the prime time 1986 was a very close second). The wine is still in its infancy stage and just starting to show its amazing potential. Boasting a deep crimson core it is packed with vibrant aromas of toasted caramel, damp forest floor, black currant and fresh picked flowers. It is medium to full bodied and soft as silk as it envelops the palate with delightfully intertwined layers of cassis, vanilla, tobacco leaf and cedar wood. All of this on the backdrop of an exquisite minerality which makes the wine even more "Unico". The velvety finish lingers on and on. The 2004 needs more time to blossom; let it cruise in the cellar for another 2 to 3 years, and enjoy it over the next 2 decades. A stunner!
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10/31/2015 - the player Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pure infanticide. Should have aerated in decanted 5-6 hours instead of a measly one hour. Would like to re-rate this wine with a proper decant, but being a big Unico fan the 04 is one of their excellent vintages.
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10/9/2015 - Bobhelge wrote: 94 Points
Immediately after opening it shows dark cherries, vanilla, sweet tobacco and sweet cookies. After 2-3 hours it is more dried blackberry, a lot of spices, raw wood, smoke, coffee and hints of hay. Both nose and flavour intensity is pronounced and it has a long concentrated finish. Incredible balance.
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9/27/2015 - Doni.Bertolami wrote: 97 Points
Sedductive nose of chocolate brioche, wild cherries, vanilla and cream. On the plate this is perfectly balanced with not the slightes little bit disturbing the structure. Beautiful integrated oak and impressive lenght. Only just enterig the drinking window. Plenty of life ahead.
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8/22/2015 - EirikM wrote: 94 Points
An alluring combination of depth and elegance. Plays on a wide registry and shows impressive complexity even in this youthful stage. Spices, dark fruit with a beautiful blueberry note, and well balanced without disturbance from unruly tannins or abused oak. It's a great wine.
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4/27/2015 - dbkitc wrote: 97 Points
(at Hisop - Barcelona) First experience with this wine and I am completely impressed. Medium body and color. Soaring aromatics that are beautiful, refined, warm and complex. Palate is youthful yet regal. Will be brilliant with more age. A stunner. (97+)
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4/22/2015 - Elvis1969 Likes this wine: 91 Points
A very nice structured wine that reminds me a lot of a Bordeaux. Showing power, complexity and youth at the same time. Could probably be kept in the cellar for a long time but very pleasant to drink right now.
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4/16/2015 - NineteenEightyTwo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Vega-Sicilia with Pablo Álvarez (Tenzing, Chicago): Crimson color. Stunning nose of anise, spicy fruit, charcoal. Gorgeous palate with pure, gentle fruit flavors accented by a somewhat hot finish. Eye-opening wine for the complexity of aromas and flavors, and the purity and elegance of the palate. Obviously superior to the 2002 and equal to the excellent 2003. Will likely remain lively for a decade or more.
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4/16/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Vega Sicilia Dinner with Pablo Alvarez (Tenzing - Chicago IL): Dense and massive to start with lots of black berries and intense spice throughout. Lush start followed by great energy, lightening the weight, making this an elegant rock star wine. Give this a decade in the cellar and enjoy through your lifetime+.
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3/20/2015 - broadband013 Likes this wine: 93 Points
beaucoup trop jeune, mais enorme potentiel, tres belle longueur, il s est beaucoup ouvert avec le temps
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2/14/2015 - Romol Likes this wine:
Only one glass, right out of the bottle. Great structure, but seemed very young. I think it would be much better with a few hours decant (that's why i don't give a rating...if i have to it would be 94-96).
I will wait a few years before i open a bottle.
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11/15/2014 - Flavito wrote: 92 Points
Infanticide, great future several years down the road...
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11/14/2014 - Peliot Likes this wine: 94 Points
My first Unico. What a luxurious wine. The overall impression is warmth and smoothness. Dark plums and chocolate notes. Age will improve it but this was just great as it is right now.
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9/19/2014 - dpolivy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vega Sicilia Tasting (Wine World, Seattle, WA): Toast, smoke and tobacco. Full and elegant with soft, sweet fruit, cedar, and spice. Very fine tannins. More structured than the 2003, and overall quite nice.
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9/19/2014 - pdemaio wrote: 94 Points
Fruit and meat. Powerful. Balanced with great tannins. Needs time. Powerful mid palate with a long, descending finish. Great structure.
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9/1/2014 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine: 96 Points
This has to be one the youngest 10 year old wines I have tasted.
Fantastic potential for further evolution. Rich, deep, complex and long.
Wait another 6 years. Drink 2020-2035.
Preliminary assessment 94-97.
[Justerini Spain tasting event Sep 1, London]
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7/31/2014 - torciaumana Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fantastico
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6/28/2014 - LopedeAguirre Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted from the bottle, without decanting, and after trying a younger and fruitier "Pintia." Complex, complete, balanced, round, strong, etc., the fruit is sharp but blends with the wood, which is very subtle. I think this is much better than a 92 but the tasting was quick and without sufficient time for the wine to settle...
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5/31/2014 - beatles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ib Bergkjćr in may (Frederiksberg): Much too young. What else can I say? Very dark, very tight, very concentrated, a majestic wine that will certainly come around in, say, ten years. 94+.
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12/4/2013 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:
Vega Sicilia Wines by Xavier Ausas (Enoteca Barolo - Madrid): A baby. It isn't just a baroque nose...
Liked very much, elegant and aristocratic.
Really unique
Palate is richer than ever, as it has to be.
Wanna an entire case!
Una niña.no es sólo por esa nariz barroca...
Me gustó mucho, elegante y aristocrática.
Realmente única.
La boca es más que nunca, como tiene que ser.
¡Quiero una caja entera!
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5/23/2013 - coremill wrote: 92 Points
Vega Sicilia Unicos + more (The Modern): Not yet commercially released. A huge wine, with incredibly ripe and concentrated sweet black fruit and tons of acid/tannic structure underneath it. Very unusual for me to see a wine where the fruit is this ripe without being too sweet and with that much structure. This is a baby and I imagine it will ultimately be fantastic but judging by how young the 89 tastes right now it's going to take a long, long time to get there.
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