Premium Cellar Collection: 2010 Vega Sicilia, Único, Ribera del Duero, Spain (Delivery to 12 Cities & Towns*)
Premium Cellar Collection: 2010 Vega Sicilia, Único, Ribera del Duero, Spain (Delivery to 12 Cities & Towns*)
A Historic Vintage
The 2010 vintage of Vega Sicilia Único is widely considered one of the greatest vintages of the last century. “Perfection is as rare in wine as in most things in life, but this is a stunning Único.”
Few wines have a history as distinguished as that of Vega Sicilia. Founded in the 1860’s, its reputation for its flagship vintage has for more than 100 years produced a wine appropriately named "Único. It is still made much as it was a half-century ago: a selection of only the best vintages released after a decade or more of age. Made from at least 80% Tempranillo and small amounts of Bordeaux varietals, it is a wine of epic proportions, known for great restraint in its youth but great cellaring potential.
A Historic Estate
It was at Vega Sicilia in Ribera del Duero, two hours from Madrid, that Tempranillo proved its potential for greatness. When the estate's original founder, Don Eloy Lecanda Chaves returned from France with cuttings of Bordeaux varietals, he planted them alongside the indigenous variety Tinto Fino (Tempranillo). Surprisingly, it was the Tempranillo that produced the superior wine.
By the early twentieth century, word had spread about this remarkable wine from Northern Spain. And when the 1917 and 1918 famously took prizes at the 1929 World’s Fair in Barcelona, its reputation soared. The owner’s insistence on deciding who should get his wine spurred its long run of mystery and exclusivity. Eventually, the wines were made available to the world, and Vega Sicilia became an enduring symbol of taste for upper-class Spaniards living throughout the world.
In 1982, the estate was purchased by the Alvarez family, who brought with them modern business acumen and vast resources but also great respect for Vega Sicilia’s winemaking traditions. And indeed, much of Vega Sicilia’s global reputation was forged in the 1980s and early 1990s, a time of abundance for lovers of the estate’s wines.
Today’s Market
Today, the market for Vega Sicilia is one of scarcity and increasing demand. The great, old vintages of Único that were so easy to find in the early 1990s have largely vanished from the market, and their prices have soared for these well-aged wines.
Vega Sicilia’s growing fame and desirability are a testament not only to the estate’s enduring legacy but to the world’s craving for wines of history and noble bearing. Vega Sicilia's vintage Único, multi-vintage Reserva Especial, and Valbuena are such wines. This is, perhaps, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire 2010 Único and also packaged with the 2014 Vega Sicilia, Valbuena.
Wines included in this 1, 3, or 6-bottle Delivery:
2010 Vega Sicilia, Único, Ribera del Duero
94% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 6% Cabernet-Sauvignon
From the 1,000 hectares which compose the Vega Sicilia estate, 210 are used for vine-growing, coexisting 19 soil types, and 57 plots containing very specific characteristics. The influence of the Duero River's flow and the passage of time has been vital in developing these soils. Forty of these hectares are used to produce Unico, with at least ten years of aging, in both barrel and bottle, considered one of the world's longest. Aged for 10 years in new and used French and American 225-liter oak barrels and 22,000-liter casks. A long, complex, yet beautiful process makes these wines outstanding when released and eternal when aged.
Critical Acclaim
99 Points - James Suckling
(September 2020) This is still very tight and closed with so much depth and beauty. The linear line to this is very vertical and draws you down. It shows intense blackberry, dark chocolate, hazelnut, and walnut character. Full body. Chewy yet extremely polished. Precise. Shows decadence.
98 Points - Decanter
This is, in my view, the best Unico in the last decade, with unmatched delicacy and complexity and the potential to improve in bottle over many years. As expected, it's powerful, intense, and quite intensely perfumed. As expected, it's powerful, intense, and very long, with blackberry, dark plums, and elegant hints of clove and coffee. The wine is magical on the palate, with its extremely fine-grained texture, a surprising freshness, and a never-ending finish. After 10 years of aging, it is still too young and needs a long time to reach its potential, but it is difficult not to drink it now. Still the greatest in its unique style. This has 25 to 30 years ahead of it, but you could also enjoy it within a few years - that's the essence of Vega Sicilia, its interplay of youth and ageability.
98 Points - Vinous
Opaque violet. Intensely perfumed, expansive black and blue fruit preserve, potpourri, Moroccan spice, and botanical herb scents are complemented by smoky mineral and vanilla flourishes. Penetrating and deeply concentrated on the palate, offering vibrant, mineral-laced black currant, bitter cherry, chewing tobacco, mocha, and floral pastille flavors that deepen on the back half. It shows superb focus and vibrant, floral lift on the wonderfully long, youthfully tannic finish, which leaves behind cherry liqueur, candied violet, and spice cake notes.
19/20 Points - Jancis Robinson
A vintage of historic quality. It is magnificent that, even though 10 years have passed, the fruit is still present, in perfect harmony with the tertiary aromas. This is undoubtedly a great vintage for Único. Perhaps among those that will last the longest. Tannin is velvety but present with great depth. It is a complete wine and a vintage that will undoubtedly keep going and grow over time. It is one of the most powerful vintages that I can remember. Drink 2020-2040
PLEASE NOTE
Purchasers must be 21 years of age or older and be present with an ID upon delivery.
Price includes 5.50% Maine State sales tax and Maine’s fifteen-cents redemption deposit per bottle.
If your billing address is different from your delivery address, please include your delivery address in the comments section at checkout.
*Delivery is by Wine Wise—not third-party carriers. Our delivery area is Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Saco, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook. We have a larger delivery area for Wine Club deliveries.
