VEGA SICILIA Unico Gran Reserva - Ribera del Duero 2014 MAGNUM

Description

94% TEMPRANILLO AND 6% CABERNET SAUVIGNON

This vintage from Spain’s most storied estate in Ribera del Duero shows incredible focus and depth. A blend of primarily Tinto Fino with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2014 benefited from a growing season that allowed for slow, steady ripening. The aromatics are intense, leading with blackcurrant, cedar, and dried herbs, followed by subtle hints of graphite and woodsmoke from its extensive oak ageing. On the palate, the wine is remarkably firm and structured. It carries a dense core of dark fruit underpinned by a refreshing mineral streak and taut acidity. The tannins are exceptionally fine-grained, providing a long, drying finish that suggests decades of potential. It is an assertive, precise red that defines the character of its high-altitude terroir.

Description
Of the nearly 1,000 hectares that make up the Vega Sicilia estate, 210 are dedicated to vine growing. Within this expanse lie 19 distinct soil types and 64 individual plots, each with its own specific characteristics. The influence of the Douro River and the passage of time have shaped the remarkable diversity and expressive potential of these soils.

The abundant yields of 2014 required more rigorous green pruning and crop thinning. Yet in a year blessed with favourable weather, the result was generous in both quantity and quality. Ageing began in 225-litre French and American oak barrels, where the wine developed its initial structure. It then continued its maturation in 22,000-litre wooden vats.

Throughout this long and complex process, the wine acquires layers of nuance, definition, texture, and depth. The combination of extraordinary terroir and a singular ageing regimen gives rise to wines with effortless longevity and remarkable evolution in bottle.

The Vintage
The winter was mild, accompanied by below-average rainfall. Spring began with temperatures above the usual in April and May, advancing budbreak by an average of 8 days. Temperature levels were normal from mid-May onward, with a few cold nights but no frost.

The summer started with mild temperatures, continuing until the end of August, followed by a rise to above-average levels in September, allowing the grapes to ripen perfectly. Harvest took place from the 20th of September through to 3rd October.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 98 points
Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
Drink Date: 2026 - 2044
The 2014 Único was produced with grapes from 40 hectares of vines selected from the 210 hectares the winery has. The grapes were picked between September 20th and October 3rd, and the blend was 94% Tinto Fino and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, with malolactic in stainless steel. The first part of the aging was in 225-liter barrels and the second one in 20,000-liter oak vats, and the élevage lasts 10 years between oak and bottle. It's a year that combines power and elegance; it's concentrated but has subtleness. I had a unique opportunity to taste it from magnum one year ago and was truly impressed. This tasting was consistent with those sensations. 2014 was a good vintage in the zone, a year with good rain and a big crop, not as powerful as 2012 or 2015 but a year with finesse. The wine feels very balanced, lower in alcohol and with integrated oak, crunchy, fresh and still young. It feels quite classical; it's fine-boned, elegant but also powerful, more like the Únicos from yesteryear. It has to be one of the finest vintages of recent times. It has 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.85 and five grams of acidity measured in tartaric acid per liter of wine. One of the largest vintages of Único, 104,606 bottles, 3,612 magnums, 356 double magnums, 50 imperials and five Salmanazars were produced. It was bottled in June 2020. It seems like years ending in four—1994, 2004, 2014 (but not 84, which was not produced)—are very good here. We'll have to wait and see about the 2024.

As I do every year, I tasted the whole portfolio of the Vega Sicilia group and published the notes of all the wines that are being released in 2024 at the beginning of the year. I later tasted the rest of the wines from the Duero region and I thought I should include Vega Sicilia in this article again for context and completeness of it.

JAMES SUCKLING 98 points
A refined, ethereal and elegant Unico. Streamlined layers of mixed peppercorns, smoked paprika, blackberries and spiced dark fruit. Hints of orange zest and flowers. Spicy, with tightly wound tannins. The length is impressive. 94% tempranillo and 6% cabernet sauvignon. Tasted from magnum. Coming along nicely. Try on release in 2026 or after.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 98 points
Brooding violet to the eye, this wine has a restrained nose of Simka plum and mocha with a hint of violet. It comes on a touch strong, with burly tannins backing blackberry, anisette, cocoa powder and fennel bulb flavors. As tannins drop off, a touch of lavender alights on the palate and lingers into the smooth finish. Drink through 2039. — Mike DeSimone

JANCIS ROBINSON 18.5 points
94% Tinto Fino, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Harvested 20 September to 3 October. Yield 25.2 hl/ha.
Deep garnet. Smells like warm damp cedar (imagine a deliciously woody sauna) and old leather. Sweet oak provides a plush carpet for dried strawberry and cherry fruit. Lovely. Long. Superfine mouth-coating tannin. Oak here is more evident than on the 2004 Único. (SCJ)

DECANTER 97 points
Tasted by: Sarah Jane Evans MW (at Vega Sicilia anniversary tasting, 06 Sep 2022) Part of Vega Sicilia Único: anniversary vertical tasting of 40 vintages
Drinking Window: 2028 - 2048
Powerful aromas of fine oak. Arrives crisp, fresh and smooth, swelling to redcurrant and red cherry. Very youthful still, full-bodied and round, but always remaining crisp and fresh. Tannins are firm but well-balanced. Promising a long life ahead but remarkably approachable now. 2014 followed a mild winter with a warmer spring and summer. Yield 25.2hl/ha. One of the first years with the influence of new technical director Gonzalo Iturriaga. One year in new barrels, six months in used barrels, then three and a half years in large-format tanks. Bottled May 2020. Tasted from magnum.

VINOUS 97 points
Drinking window: 2023 - 2040
The 2014 Unico is primarily composed of Tempranillo with an additional 6% dash of Cabernet Sauvignon, both sourced from the eponymous property in Ribera del Duero. Aged at length in barrels and large oak vats, the combination of aging methods brings out the wine's nuances in what was a generous year. A dark garnet-red in the glass. The aromas offer licorice and cedar notes alongside hints of orange peel, petit four, cola and pine. There's a background of ripe dark fruit. The palate is dry and plush with a chalky texture and supple tannins, contributing to the complex character. A nuanced red just at the beginning of its life. - Joaquín Hidalgo. Tasting date: September 2023