2014 Único, Vega Sicilia, Ribera del Duero, Spain

The 2014 Unico is primarily composed of Tempranillo with an additional 6% dash of Cabernet Sauvignon, both sourced from the eponymous property in Ribera del Duero. Aged at length in barrels and large oak vats, the combination of ageing methods brings out the wine's nuances in what was a generous year. A dark garnet-red in the glass. The aromas offer liquorice and cedar notes alongside hints of orange peel, petit four, cola and pine. There's a background of ripe dark fruit. The palate is dry and plush with a chalky texture and supple tannins, contributing to the complex character. A nuanced red just at the beginning of its life.Vega Sicilia crafts grapes exclusively from its own vineyards in Ribera del Duero. Owned by the Álvarez family since 1982, Vega Sicilia meticulously tends to ancient vines in the Quintanilla de Onésimo region, cultivating 210 hectares within a vast 1,000-hectare estate alongside pine groves, oak forests and cork oak trees. Their wines, planted in clay-limestone soils, undergo extended ageing in barrels and "tinos" (large oak vats) for up to five years, followed by additional years in bottle. The estate is renowned for its cooperage and will soon be supplied by the oak trees they have planted on the property. In the realm of wines, Vega Sicilia Único, for which Tempranillo is blended with 5-6% dashes of Cabernet Sauvignon, comes from over 40-year-old vines. Its unique style marries a sense of place and winemaking nous and promises exceptional ageing potential. Meanwhile, Valbuena has a more serene ageing profile that captures the essence of Ribera del Duero.  The Alvarez family also owns Bodega Pintia in Toro and Oremos in Tokaj. In Rioja, they have teamed with Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild for the creation of Macán.Drink 2023 - 2040Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous.com.com (November 2023)

The 2014 Único was produced with grapes from 40 hectares of vines selected from the 210 hectares the winery has. The grapes were picked between September 20th and October 3rd, and the blend was 94% Tinto Fino and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, with malolactic in stainless steel. The first part of the aging was in 225-liter barrels and the second one in 20,000-liter oak vats, and the élevage lasts 10 years between oak and bottle. It's a year that combines power and elegance; it's concentrated but has subtleness. I had a unique opportunity to taste it from magnum one year ago and was truly impressed. This tasting was consistent with those sensations.2014 was a good vintage in the zone, a year with good rain and a big crop, not as powerful as 2012 or 2015 but a year with finesse. The wine feels very balanced, lower in alcohol and with integrated oak, crunchy, fresh and still young. It feels quite classical; it's fine-boned, elegant but also powerful, more like the Únicos from yesteryear. It has to be one of the finest vintages of recent times.It has 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.85 and five grams of acidity measured in tartaric acid per liter of wine. One of the largest vintages of Único, 104,606 bottles, 3,612 magnums, 356 double magnums, 50 imperials and five Salmanazars were produced. It was bottled in June 2020. It seems like years ending in four—94, 2004, 2014 (but not 84, that was not produced)—are very good here. We'll have to wait and see about the 2024...Drink 2026 - 2044Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate (January 2024)

The 2014 Unico is the second wine in a row from a cooler, so-called Atlantic year although. The harvest was considerably less wet than 2013. Sourced from the best 40 hectares on the Vega Sicilia estate, covering a total of 30 parcels, this is a stunningly floral, complete, layered Tinto Fino with lily, wild rose and mountain herb aromas, subtle French and 25% American oak, some added backbone from 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and a palate of bramble, black cherry, Asian spices and tobacco embellished and freshened by a bright, chalky finish.Drink 2026 - 2040Tim Atkin MW, TimAtkin.com