VEGA SICILIA UNICO spain 2009

Description

I tasted a bottle of the 2009 ??nico blind and was taken by the freshness, the red fruit notes and the Burgundian-like characteristics of this vintage, which on paper was quite warm and dry. I also tasted the 2009 Valbuena, which is always more approachable, and was blown away by its aromatics. With time in the glass the ??nico opened up and got closer to the character of Valbuena but with more depth and clout, while showing extremely elegant. I tasted it again in the context of all the wines from the group, and it delivered all that I saw when I tasted it blind. It takes some time to unfurl its aromatic palette, and it feels young and somewhat undeveloped, younger than it is. It has a touch that made me think of the old vintages of ??nico on the nose but with very polished tannins and a soft mouthfeel that provides elegance. This is a wine that ages for no less than ten years before it’s released. 2009 seems like a great vintage for Vega Sicilia, much better than what I anticipated. It should develop nicely in bottle.

Vega Sicilia is perhaps Spain’s most revered estate and has a global reputation for consistently producing exceptionally high-quality red wines with extraordinary capacity to age. Único is the flagship wine and is a blend of mostly Tempranillo with a small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon and is aged for almost 6 years in oak and 4 years in bottle before release. The 2009 is a generous, potent vintage providing an expressive, profound, rich wine that will continue to evolve over many decades.