2011 Vega Sicilia "Unico", Ribera del Duero, Spain
ABOUT THIS WINE
Of the almost 1,000 hectares that make up the Vega Sicilia estate, 210 are allocated to the cultivation of vines, with nineteen different types of soil and fifty-five plots with very specific features. In the extraordinary management of these soils, the influence of the course of the Douro River and the passage of time have been crucial.
Forty of these hectares are used to produce Unico, grown on 35-year-old vines, and then aged for a minimum of ten years between barrel and bottle - one of the longest ageing processes in the world. They use French and American oak in new and used 225-litre barrels and 22,000-litre vats. A long and complex construction of the wines, but at the same time simply marvellous, in which they gain a myriad of nuances, precise texture and wonderful depth over time. Thanks to this incredible terroir and unique ageing process, their wines become eternal when they age.
2011 is a concentrated vintage yet, elegant, silky, precise and deep. Unico is an expression that can be savoured immediately, although over time it will become truly incredible. It is, without a shadow of doubt, a true delight.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
There are people who believe that the myth of Vega Sicilia was due to its being an aristocratic wine, in scarce supply, and only within the means of a fortunate few; an object of desire that only a privileged minority could enjoy. However, what many do not know, is that the real origin of the legend lies in a story of hope, commitment and patience on the banks of the River Duero, as it runs through the heart of Castilla, where the river laps against and nourishes a unique and exceptional, nearly magical estate.
This wise, hard and barren land was destined for something great. It had to join forces with time to fulfill its great dream: to give the best of itself, achieve extraordinary crops that would fill it with pride and show off the splendor of nature. Yet, to do so, land and time needed man's help. Someone to be their eyes and hands and farm in line with nature's rhythms. As only in that way, when we are humble enough to accept nature's way, do we achieve exceptional results.
Centuries passed waiting for someone to listen to the call of this magical land. And very few people have the gift to see further, to listen to what others hear, and to feel what others do not feel. Until one day, fate brought along a man who listened to its call, a man who followed his intuition and change the traditional crop of cereals for the best vine stocks of the 19th century. A man who knew how to learn from nature, patiently respected its rhythms, looked after the land and protected time, thus achieving a perfect balance.
Autumn was the time of the grape harvest and the land could, after all, begin to dream, for which it was pre-destined; the grapes proved to be of an unrivalled quality and personality and, after maturing in the silence and solitude of the winery, became one of the greatest legends of the history of wine - Vega Sicilia was finally born.
Details:
| Grape(s) | Tempranillo |
| Farming | Organic |