Unico, Vega Sicilia 1998

Hazelnuts, chocolate orange, dried blackberries and grilled herbs with hints of mint. Savory, sleek and flavorful. Medium to full body with firm yet slightly loose tannins. Zesty herb notes to close. 92% tempranillo and 8% cabernet sauvignon. Tasted from magnum. Drink or hold.

1998 was a very challenging vintage in Ribera del Duero, but it happened to come after the even more challenging 1997, when they didn't bottle magnums (I don't think they produced Único at all...). So, at the time, the 1998 Único, like many wines from that vintage, was quite well received. The wine has only 13.5% alcohol (the last vintage with that percentage; from there on, every year was at least 14%), and it has some fragility. There also are some lactic notes, and the oak feels more present. It's evolving at a faster pace. This was the first vintage post-Mariano García and was fermented and aged by Javier Ausás. 2,041 magnums produced. Artwork by Luis Gordillo. 2008-2028.

The 1998 Unico is purple-colored with a complex bouquet of wood smoke, violets, Asian spices, mineral, blueberry, and assorted black fruits. This is followed by a full-bodied, dense, loaded wine with gobs of sweet fruit, great concentration, and layers of flavor. It will continue to evolve for another 5-7 years and drink well through 2040+.

Transparent ruby. Really fully resolved – quite a leap from the younger vintages. High-toned and sweet with really winning pure fruit on the palate and definite dustiness on the end. Unique flavours. Dry finish. Much wilder and possibly less technically perfect than the wines 1999–2014? Fun! Drink 2010-2033.

A complicated year - cold spring, hot summer, intermittent rain at harvest - and the wine reveals this. It’s evolved more quickly with some ripe, generous fruit compote appearing. Underneath there’s a brisk line of acidity and some dusty tannin. In 2016 I scored this at 98 but my optimism has receded. Matured for 20 months in large-capacity wooden vats, 24 months in new casks, then 24 months in semi-new and finishing with 19 months in large-capacity wooden vats, then bottle aged. 76,385 bottles, 2,041 magnums and 157 double magnums. Tasted from magnum.