2008 Vega Sicilia Unico - Ribera del Duero Gran Reserva - 3 Bottles (0.75L)

DESCRIPTION Of the 1,000 hectares making up the Vega Sicilia estate, 210 are used for wine growing, and there are 19 soil-types divided for management purposes into 52 plots with very specific characteristics. The influence of the flow of the river Duero and the passage of time have been vital in forming these soils. 70 of these hectares are employed to produce Unico. A unique, magical estate which, along with extraordinary management of the vineyard, enables the production of legendary wines. The Unico ageing process is probably the world’s longest, since it runs for at least ten years from the barrel to the bottle. 225-litre barrels of French and American wood, both new and used, and 20,000-litre tanks. A long complex process for a great wine. Unico is a wine for all eternity. Only a handful of terroirs worldwide are able to match wine’s extraordinary ageing capacity. This is a wine of inimitable style, mature, tremendously elegant and silky, in which the ageing process brings the mystique of the essence to the surface. VINTAGE In 2008, a very dry winter was followed by a cold and rainy spring – although without May frosts, which gave rise to late budding and slow and unequal initial development of the vine’s cycle. Throughout May and up to 17 June there were storms of a certain intensity along with strong winds and hailstones in certain areas. A dry summer allowed for recovery in the cycle, and particularly noteworthy was a wide temperature range in July and August, with differences in the daytime high and night-time low of between 20 and 24 degrees. Low nocturnal temperatures continued into September, with a minimum of 1 degree recorded on 29 September. The anti-frost towers were therefore activated, and also protected the crop on 2 and 3 October, when minimum temperatures of 0 degrees occurred. The grape harvest commenced on 10 October by which time great phenolic and aromatic ripeness had been achieved due to the wide temperature range from colour-changing onwards and lower sugar accumulation compared to an average year in the zone. An Atlantic-style vintage with great colour and aroma intensity, potent structure, and an acidity plus which will aid the wines’ longevity. Bottled in June 2014 TASTING NOTES 96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 2008 was a challenging vintage in Ribera del Duero, a vintage marked by a severe frost on September 24th. The vineyards of Vega Sicilia were saved by some anti-frost burners that really made the difference. Even though, there are only some 70,000 bottles of 2008 Único, a wine that will be released around March 2016 after the 2007, and before they sell 2005 and 2006. It's a fresher, more mineral version of Vega, and very much Vega in character. It has a certain aroma that I cannot define that I also found in the 2011 Valbuena. The palate is surprisingly polished; the wine is quite accessible from now on, with fine tannins and a subtle thread of acidity going through the core. This is a lighter version of Único, but one style I like very much; it's a wine that should drink well throughout its life. A triumph for the vintage conditions. (LG) (10/2015) Parker : 96 / 100 Wine Advocate-Parker : 2008 was a challenging vintage in Ribera del Duero, a vintage marked by a severe frost on September 24th. The vineyards of Vega Sicilia were saved by some anti-frost burners that really made the difference. Even though, there are only some 70,000 bottles of 2008 Único, a wine that will be released around March 2016 after the 2007, and before they sell 2005 and 2006. It's a fresher, more mineral version of Vega, and very much Vega in character. It has a certain aroma that I cannot define that I also found in the 2011 Valbuena. The palate is surprisingly polished; the wine is quite accessible from now on, with fine tannins and a subtle thread of acidity going through the core. This is a lighter version of Único, but one style I like very much; it's a wine that should drink well throughout its life. A triumph for the vintage conditions. Attention, for customs reasons, shipments are made only in the following countries: Denmark Italy Lettonia Estonia Lituania Finlandia Ireland UK Sweden Poland Czech Republic Slovakia Hungary slovenia Romania Bulgaria Croatia Austria Germany Greece Belgium / Luxembourg France Holland Spain Portugal Please view my other lots as well, by clicking on my name at the left of the screen.