Vega-Sicilia Unico 2009 / 750 ml.

Item#: 90521

RP9898 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 31st Jan 2019
I tasted a bottle of the 2009 Único 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 Único 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 Único 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. 74,274 bottles, 3,390 magnums, 209 double magnums and 22 imperials were produced. It has been in bottle since June 2015.
JS9898 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Wednesday, December 26, 2018
The elevage is complex, building from smaller barrels to larger barrels over a period of six years, finishing in larger vats. Then four years in bottle. Non-sequential releasing with the 2005 and 2006 being released after the 2007 and 2008. This 2009 has good ripeness and deep fruit-presence on the nose with rich red and dark plums, subtly earthy spice, cedar and fresh tobacco. There’s terrific concentration on the palate and very ripe dark-plum, blueberry and cherry flavors. The tannins are fresh, very long and carry flavors deep. Natural freshness and effortless power, too — a hallmark of Unico! Very open-knit and approachable now, this will age for two decades easily, and then some more.
SP9595 pts. - Wine Spectator - Jun 30, 2019
This red is rich yet vibrant, dense yet graceful. Cherry and plum flavors are backed by forest floor, cedar, tobacco and mineral notes, supported by muscular, well-integrated tannins that give way to a spicy, slightly bitter finish. Complex and harmonious. Tinto Fino and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2029. 6,190 cases made, 570 cases imported. (Thomas Matthews)
WS9494 pts. - Wine & Spirits - June 1, 2019
Unico is a selection from Vega-Sicilia’s top benchland parcels of tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon, both varieties part of the original plantings at the estate in the 19th century. The contemporary vines, now an average of 35 years old, are rooted in rocky limestone and quartz gravels at the south end of the estate, with a cool northern exposure; the fruit of those vines ferments spontaneously in wooden vats, then ages in oak barrels for five years, and for more time in bottle. With ten years of age, this 2009 is youthful and dynamic. Beyond the initial scents of oak, you’ll find brisk, tart red cherry and boysenberry fruit energized by the Mediterranean warmth of the tannins. Complex and savory, it’s compelling to drink now, yet will gain beauty with age.

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Red Wine

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Primary Grape: Tempranillo | All Grapes: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon

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Spain | Ribera del Duero

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Vega-Sicilia

Critical Acclaim

RP98 98 pts. / Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate (31st Jan 2019)

I tasted a bottle of the 2009 Único 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 Único 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 Único 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. 74,274 bottles, 3,390 magnums, 209 double magnums and 22 imperials were produced. It has been in bottle since June 2015.

JS98 98 pts. / JamesSuckling.com (Wednesday, December 26, 2018)

The elevage is complex, building from smaller barrels to larger barrels over a period of six years, finishing in larger vats. Then four years in bottle. Non-sequential releasing with the 2005 and 2006 being released after the 2007 and 2008. This 2009 has good ripeness and deep fruit-presence on the nose with rich red and dark plums, subtly earthy spice, cedar and fresh tobacco. There’s terrific concentration on the palate and very ripe dark-plum, blueberry and cherry flavors. The tannins are fresh, very long and carry flavors deep. Natural freshness and effortless power, too — a hallmark of Unico! Very open-knit and approachable now, this will age for two decades easily, and then some more.

SP95 95 pts. / Wine Spectator (Jun 30, 2019)

This red is rich yet vibrant, dense yet graceful. Cherry and plum flavors are backed by forest floor, cedar, tobacco and mineral notes, supported by muscular, well-integrated tannins that give way to a spicy, slightly bitter finish. Complex and harmonious. Tinto Fino and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2029. 6,190 cases made, 570 cases imported. (Thomas Matthews)

WS94 94 pts. / Wine & Spirits (June 1, 2019)

Unico is a selection from Vega-Sicilia’s top benchland parcels of tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon, both varieties part of the original plantings at the estate in the 19th century. The contemporary vines, now an average of 35 years old, are rooted in rocky limestone and quartz gravels at the south end of the estate, with a cool northern exposure; the fruit of those vines ferments spontaneously in wooden vats, then ages in oak barrels for five years, and for more time in bottle. With ten years of age, this 2009 is youthful and dynamic. Beyond the initial scents of oak, you’ll find brisk, tart red cherry and boysenberry fruit energized by the Mediterranean warmth of the tannins. Complex and savory, it’s compelling to drink now, yet will gain beauty with age.

Where It's From

Region / Ribera del Duero

View more wines from Ribera del Duero

Ribera del Duero is one of Spain's most celebrated wine regions, producing high-end Tempranillos and more. Located along the Duero river (which turns into the Douro river when it flows into Portugal), the region gained acclaim for its powerful Tempranillos (called Tinto Fino), which are typically dark and tannic.

Country / Spain

View more wines from Spain

The picturesque countryside of Spain is littered with vineyards large and small, and offers up some of the best value available on the wine market today. You can consistently fine critically-acclaimed Spanish wines selling for less than their counterparts from other wine-producing countries. The Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions are most famous, and there's nowhere else in the world where you'll find as many world-class Tempranillos.

More Information

SKU 90521
Product Type Wine
Alternate Name Vega-Sicilia Unico
Country Spain
Region Ribera del Duero
Product Location - Location-Appellation Ribera del Duero
Package Size 750 ml.
Proof/Alcohol by Volume 14%
Wine/Spirit Brand Vega-Sicilia
Bottles per Case 12
Vintage 2009
Can it Be Shipped Yes
Premier Pick No
Wine Type Table Wine
Wine - Color Red
Grape(s) Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon
Primary Grape Tempranillo
Dollar Sale (Y/N) No
More from this Producer
Vega-Sicilia Unico 2010 / 750 ml.

2010 / 750 ml.

Item #: 95497

VN9898 pts. - Vinous - Feb 2021
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. Sappy, penetrating and deeply concentrated on the palate, offering vibrant, mineral-laced black currant, bitter cherry, chewing tobacco, mocha and floral pastille flavors that deepen and turn sweeter on the back half. Shows superb focus and vibrant, floral lift on the wonderfully long, youthfully tannic finish, which leaves behind cherry liqueur, candied violet and spicecake notes.
RP9797 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 30th Dec 2019
I was surprised by the aromatics of the 2010 Único, cropped from a powerful and concentrated year that delivered this blend of 94% Tinto Fino (aka Tempranillo) and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 14.5% alcohol and a highish pH of 3.87. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in a combination of French and American oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats and aged for almost six years. It feels quite ripe and somehow old style, dominated by ripe black fruit, with a rustic and earthy touch. It has an ample palate, concentrated and powerful, with some earthy tannins. 85,185 bottles, 3,362 magnums, 228 double magnums and 36 Imperials were produced. It was bottled in June 2016.
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Spain | Ribera del Duero

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Primary Grape: Tempranillo

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RP9696 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 30th Dec 2021
2017 was marked by the frost of the night between April 27 and 28 that Vega Sicilia fought with their anti-frost towers. The end of the season was warm, and the overall rain was low, 235 liters. The 2017 Valbuena is marked by these circumstances, produced with 94% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 6% Merlot, with good ripeness (14.5% alcohol) and mellow acidity (4.65 grams of tartaric acid and a pH of 3.85). The grapes were cooled down and took three to four days of maceration to start fermenting with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in a combination of new and used French and American 225-liter oak barrels and 21,000-liter oak vats for almost three years. The result, for whatever reason, was nothing short of spectacular. The wine is perfumed, floral, expressive and balsamic like few vintages before. It doesn’t feel like a 2017 at all; it is harmonious, and the tannins were fine. It’s an amazing Valbuena that clearly transcends the character of the vintage. What I see here is that since 2010, the wine has a very high consistency. And in 2017 it excels. 170,071 bottles, 5,516 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in June 2020. (Luis Gutiérrez)
JS9696 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Thursday, February 3, 2022
This shows wonderful aromas of blackberries, violets and sandalwood with vanilla undertones. Full-bodied with racy tannins and gorgeous fruit. Linear and very long. Slightly chewy. Needs time to come together, but already excellent quality. Drink after 2023.
WS9494 pts. - Wine & Spirits - 06/22
Faced with a challenging vintage early in his tenure as the technical director of Vega Sicilia, Gonzalo Iturriaga chose to go gentle on the grapes. The vines had budded into a warm spring, were hit hard by frost, then struggled to mature their fruit through a dry season. Harvesting early, Iturriaga diminished the percentage of new oak barrels for the first year of aging and moved the wine into wooden casks for the second year, offering what at first appears to be an austere wine. Patience takes this past its earthy notes of salted plum and under-ripe black currant. It remains savory as the tannins soften toward green herb and the flavors open to anise. A wine of depth and textural elegance, this 2017 shows the talent of the vineyard whether you give it hours in a decanter now or cellar it for ten years.
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Spain | Ribera del Duero

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Primary Grape: Tempranillo

Limited Inventoryinformation-circle We'll confirm your order by email.

9 items or less in stock.

Compare at $249.99 $199.99

You save:$50.00 (20%)

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