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Vega Sicilia
The Winery
Bodegas Vega Sicilia
"Life is a journey of discovery and Spain has given me some of the greatest wine discoveries in my professional life… they are committed to making great wines and the results are in the bottle."
- Robert Parker
A Spanish “First Growth”, Vega Sicilia is the most powerful producer hailing from the Ribera del Duero. The winery was purchased by the Alvarez family in 1982, after a history of changing hands several times. This is where it began to see prosperity, as quality and attention to detail rose with the new ownership. The property is over 2000 acres, only a fraction of which are planted to grapevines. Grapes grown include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Tinto Fino.
In reaction to the hard hit the Spanish wine industry took during the most recent economic downturn, Sicilia has renovated practices to get with the times and avoid another fiscal blow. The company has also founded new projects, including a new winery in Rioja in partnership with Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, who of course is part of the famed Rothschild family and owners of Mouton and Lafite. There are three wines available from Vega Sicilia, Unico, Reserva Especial and Valbuena.
Tasting Notes
- WA95
- Having skipped over releasing a 2001 due to frost damage, the 2002 Unico is a result of a severe selection as attested by the label which shows that just 42,932 bottles were produced instead of 108,536 in 2000. It has an incredibly intense nose, much more linear and focused than the more flamboyant 2000, with scents of dark cherry, creme de cassis and a touch of honey and melted dark chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied with a slight grainy texture on the entry, a hint of cooked meat inflecting the layers of toasty dark berry fruit. It is very harmonious and perhaps at this juncture, edgier and grittier than the millennial Unico. It is less opulent and more structured than the 2000, but is a more cerebral wine. Drink 2020-2040+.
- WSM94
- A selection of tinto fino from vines over 40 years old (some close to 90) blended with a small percentage of cabernet and merlot, this red comes from a careful selection of grapes in a very rainy harvest. And the results are brilliant. Here the aromas of chocolate and sweet spice blend with scents of black cherries and nuts; the wine is vibrant in acidity, but also powerful and sweet, like oranges dipped in chocolate.
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