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Vega Sicilia Ribera Del Duero Unico 1996 750ml

size
750ml
country
Spain
appellation
Ribera Del Duero
WA
96
VM
94
DC
93
WA
96
Rated 96 by Wine Advocate
Pablo Alvarez quipped that in 1996, the growing season was so benevolent, that the winemaker was not even necessary! The 1996 Unico has a very pure, pastille-like bouquet with raspberry, wild strawberry, crushed stone and a touch of Chinese tea. It has impressive delineation and linearity. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins. The fruit profile is shimmering in the glass with black cherries, cassis and blueberry notes. It is very feminine and powerful towards the poised, tensile finish that is long and seductive. One of the finest recent vintages, suffused with sensuality and opulence, the 1996 Unico is destined to be a great wine, one that might unfairly be over-shadowed by the 1994. 99,480 bottles produced. Drink 2020-2040+. ... More details
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Vega Sicilia Ribera Del Duero Unico 1996 750ml

SKU 873376
Case Only Purchase
Long-term Pre-Arrival
$2206.62
/case
$735.54
/750ml bottle
Quantity
min order 3 bottles
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Professional Ratings
WA
96
VM
94
DC
93
WA
96
Rated 96 by Wine Advocate
Pablo Alvarez quipped that in 1996, the growing season was so benevolent, that the winemaker was not even necessary! The 1996 Unico has a very pure, pastille-like bouquet with raspberry, wild strawberry, crushed stone and a touch of Chinese tea. It has impressive delineation and linearity. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins. The fruit profile is shimmering in the glass with black cherries, cassis and blueberry notes. It is very feminine and powerful towards the poised, tensile finish that is long and seductive. One of the finest recent vintages, suffused with sensuality and opulence, the 1996 Unico is destined to be a great wine, one that might unfairly be over-shadowed by the 1994. 99,480 bottles produced. Drink 2020-2040+.
VM
94
Rated 94 by Vinous Media
Deep ruby. Complex, heady bouquet of kirsch, candied plum, cured tobacco, licorice, dried rose and cedar. Pungent herbal notes build with aeration and repeat on the palate, adding complexity to the deep, ripe cherry and dark berry liqueur flavors. Remarkably elegant wine with precise cherry/berry flavors and a slow-mounting mocha quality on the long, sappy finish. There's a very impressive interplay of fruit and tannins here.
DC
93
Rated 93 by Decanter
In the glass, Único 1996 looks to be showing its age. Certainly on the nose too, where the notes of truffle and woodsmoke reveal its developing maturity. Nevertheless, the wine remains youthful and alive in the mouth, with bright redcurrant fruits, a silky mid-palate and just a balancing rasp of tannins on the finish. This is a superbly elegant wine, which still has plenty of years ahead. Drinking Window 2019 - 2028.
Winery
It is the Vega Sicilia flagship. The qualities of the Tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon in different proportions are assembled to perfection in this wine. Each provides a differentiating factor that makes the wine great in every vintage.
Product Details
size
750ml
country
Spain
appellation
Ribera Del Duero
Overview
Pablo Alvarez quipped that in 1996, the growing season was so benevolent, that the winemaker was not even necessary! The 1996 Unico has a very pure, pastille-like bouquet with raspberry, wild strawberry, crushed stone and a touch of Chinese tea. It has impressive delineation and linearity. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins. The fruit profile is shimmering in the glass with black cherries, cassis and blueberry notes. It is very feminine and powerful towards the poised, tensile finish that is long and seductive. One of the finest recent vintages, suffused with sensuality and opulence, the 1996 Unico is destined to be a great wine, one that might unfairly be over-shadowed by the 1994. 99,480 bottles produced. Drink 2020-2040+.
green grapes

Varietal: Tempranillo

Without any doubt, the flagship grape varietal of Spain is the Tempranillo. This fine grape varietal has since been grown in several other countries around the world, and continues to be respected and admired for its deep ruby red color, its strong tannins, and the complex and delicious flavors it carries so well. Plum, vanilla, leather, tobacco and herb are just some of the characteristic flavors found in this black skinned grape varietal, and its power and fullness of features makes it a common grape for use in blended wines of exceptional quality. Tempranillo grapes thrive best in regions with a combination of bright, hot sunshine, and cooling breezes, where they can ripen fully and then be aged in oak barrels to mellow, become more rounded and allow their fascinating nature to come forward.
barrel

Region: Castilla Y Leon

In the heart of Spain, we find the beautiful - if somewhat arid and occasionally desolate - wine region of Castilla y Leon. Castilla y Leon is the largest wine region in Spain, covering a huge plateau rising up from its surroundings, and characterized by its dry and cracked soils, and intense summer heat. Such weather conditions can often make viticulture difficult, but the wineries which work in the region have generations of experience and expertise when it comes to making the most of the beautiful red and white wine grape varietals which grow well there. From Tempranillo to Verdejo, Castilla y Leon really has something to suit every palate, and offers the world a range of wines full of the passion and flavors of Spain.
fields

Country: Spain

For over two thousand years, Spain has been responsible for much of Europe's wine production, making the very best of native grape varietals, and more recently experimenting with and perfecting wines made from imported grapes. Of course, the region of La Rioja is renowned world-wide for the quality and characteristics of its wines, which benefit greatly from the warm, dry continental climate of the area, and the fertile soils of the Ebro river basin. However, there is far more to Spanish produce than the complex, aromatic and earthy red wine of this region, as a result of the vast range of wine making traditions and practices, and terrains and climatic conditions found across the country. The region Castilla y Leon produces some of Europe's finest white wines, and the sparkling wines of Cava and the sherries of Jerez are firm favorites for wine lovers around the world.
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More Details
Winery Vega Sicilia
green grapes

Varietal: Tempranillo

Without any doubt, the flagship grape varietal of Spain is the Tempranillo. This fine grape varietal has since been grown in several other countries around the world, and continues to be respected and admired for its deep ruby red color, its strong tannins, and the complex and delicious flavors it carries so well. Plum, vanilla, leather, tobacco and herb are just some of the characteristic flavors found in this black skinned grape varietal, and its power and fullness of features makes it a common grape for use in blended wines of exceptional quality. Tempranillo grapes thrive best in regions with a combination of bright, hot sunshine, and cooling breezes, where they can ripen fully and then be aged in oak barrels to mellow, become more rounded and allow their fascinating nature to come forward.
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Region: Castilla Y Leon

In the heart of Spain, we find the beautiful - if somewhat arid and occasionally desolate - wine region of Castilla y Leon. Castilla y Leon is the largest wine region in Spain, covering a huge plateau rising up from its surroundings, and characterized by its dry and cracked soils, and intense summer heat. Such weather conditions can often make viticulture difficult, but the wineries which work in the region have generations of experience and expertise when it comes to making the most of the beautiful red and white wine grape varietals which grow well there. From Tempranillo to Verdejo, Castilla y Leon really has something to suit every palate, and offers the world a range of wines full of the passion and flavors of Spain.
fields

Country: Spain

For over two thousand years, Spain has been responsible for much of Europe's wine production, making the very best of native grape varietals, and more recently experimenting with and perfecting wines made from imported grapes. Of course, the region of La Rioja is renowned world-wide for the quality and characteristics of its wines, which benefit greatly from the warm, dry continental climate of the area, and the fertile soils of the Ebro river basin. However, there is far more to Spanish produce than the complex, aromatic and earthy red wine of this region, as a result of the vast range of wine making traditions and practices, and terrains and climatic conditions found across the country. The region Castilla y Leon produces some of Europe's finest white wines, and the sparkling wines of Cava and the sherries of Jerez are firm favorites for wine lovers around the world.