VEGA SICILIA Unico Gran Reserva - Ribera del Duero 2016 Case x 3 Bottles - CASE SALES ONLY UFN

Description

96% Tempranillo, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5%abv

Unico 2016 marks a defining moment for Vega Sicilia - the first full vintage crafted under the direction of Gonzalo Iturriaga de Juan as Technical Director.

The arrival of Gonzalo Iturriaga de Juan to Vega Sicilia in 2016 marked a subtle but important evolution in the estate’s approach, with a clear focus on precision, vineyard expression and balance. The 2016 has already been recognised as an outstanding release, receiving 98 points in Tim Atkin MW’s Ribera del Duero Report (2025). Its stature reflects both the quality of the year and the direction set under new technical leadership, establishing it as an instant classic within the recent history of the estate.

Unico sits at the top of the Vega Sicilia range and is produced only from the estate’s most revered plots. It follows one of the longest ageing regimes of any Spanish wine, progressing through a sequence of oak barrels, large wooden vats and extended bottle ageing before release. During its first year, the wine is assessed for structure and firmness to determine whether it will continue as Unico or be directed towards Valbuena. Wines that remain in the Unico line move through several years of slow maturation
in large wooden vats. A small proportion of wine from other harvests may be used to fine-tune balance, but the identity of the principal vintage remains central. This measured approach, shaped by time and careful selection, defines the character of Unico and underpins the longevity for which it is known.

Unico 2016 is a fragrant, understated and elegant expression of its vintage. The nose reveals a complex character that blossoms in the glass, gradually unfolding its subtleties.

The Vintage
2016 began with light frosts and a mild winter. A cool spring delayed budbreak. Intense August heat slowed vine growth until cooler nights arrived. Harvest ran from 22nd September to 11th October

THE WINE ADVOCATE 99
Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
Drink Date: 2027 - 2046
The 2016 Único is perfumed and elegant, showcasing a very good vintage in the region. Winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga started in 2015—a powerful year—and he remembers 2016 as a very balanced year, with higher yields and finer-boned wines. The winter was mild, and there was a cooler-than-average spring and a warm summer. September was dry, which provided healthy grapes and balanced ripening. The harvest started on the 22nd of September and finished on the 11th of October. The wine is 96% Tinto Fino and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.82 and 4.8 grams of acidity. It has the old Vega perfume: intoxicating, complex and nuanced, full of personality, and it has a very energetic palate, vibrant and fresh, not lacking power but with lots of elegance. The wine is released 10 years after the harvest, combining time in new and used American and French oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats, and it obviously spends plenty of time in bottle. This is a monumental vintage of Único. A total of 92,292 bottles, 3,695 magnums and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in May 2022.

JAMES SUCKLING 98
A beautifully poised Vega that is already approachable. Everything is in harmony, showing an almost ethereal quality in contrast to the denser 2015 vintage. There’s a hint of minerality paired with the blackberries and dark cherries. The tannins are firm yet softened. Medium to full body and a finish that lingers for a minute. Drink or hold.
Zekun Shuai, Senior Editor

TIM ATKIN 98
"Great vintages in Ribera del Duero are often big production years," says owner Pablo Álvarez and the 2016 release of Único, produced in a wetter, so-called Atlantic year illustrates his point rather well. A wine that will be ready to drink before the more structured, muscular 2015, it's a classic blend of Tempranillo and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon from different parts of the 210-hectare estate. Matured in 80% new French and 40% American oak, this has violet, sweet spice and blackcurrant leaf aromas, layers of liquorice, cassis and red berries, sweet, toasty oak, fine-boned tannins and an enticing balsamic lift. 2031-40

JANCIS ROBINSON 18.5
Stylistically, this is a tertiary wine, yet far from fading. Notes of black tea, leather and earth appear with remarkable purity and precision, framed by hints of cedar and a graceful aromatic lift. The palate is unexpectedly delicate, showing integrated and delicate tannins with subtle spice – touches of clove and sandalwood – adding nuance. While 2014 and 2015 were warm years, 2016 was not cool but was certainly less warm, resulting in a wine that is slightly less concentrated, more refined and with a thread of primary brightness still intact. Shades of black cherry and cassis mingle with a distinctive pine-forest freshness, and the oak – expertly integrated – acts in a supporting role. It feels like a quiet evolution for Único: less overtly oaky, more transparent, and carrying a sense of purity that elevates the estate’s signature character rather than shifting it. A wine capable of lighting up a dining room simply by crossing it on its way to a table – and one that will bring immense pride to collectors and admirers alike. (FC)
Drink: 2026 – 2060