2010 Vega Sicilia "Unico" Ribera del Duero (Pre-Arrival)

SKU #1464657 99 points James Suckling

This is still very tight and closed with so much depth and beauty. The linear line to this is very vertical and draws you down. It shows intense blackberry, dark-chocolate, hazelnut and walnut character. Full body. Chewy yet extremely polished. Precise. Shows decadence. (6/2019)

98 points Decanter

This is, in my view, the best Unico in the last decade, with unmatched delicacy and complexity and the potential to improve in bottle over many years. Quite intensely perfumed with black-berry fruits and elegant hints of clove and coffee, the wine is magical on the palate, with its extremely fine-grained texture, a surprising freshness and a never-ending finish. After 10 years of ageing, it is still too young and needs a long time to reach its potential, but it is difficult not to drink it now. Still the greatest in its unique style. (PT) (7/2020)

98 points Vinous

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. (JR) (2/2020)

97 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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. (LG) (12/2019)

96 points Wine Spectator

This red is dense, balanced and complex. Plum, dried currant, cigar box, leather and mineral flavors mingle over ripe, well-integrated tannins. Orange peel acidity keeps this lively through the long, floral finish. Harmonious and graceful, in a classic style. (TM) (4/2020)