2015 Vega Sicilia Unico Ribera del Duero 750 ml

The rare nature of Único can be summed up in one anecdote: The British Embassy once tried to secure enough for a royal dinner for Queen Elizabeth II herself. They were granted just four cases from the winery. 

There might be no wine more painstakingly made, patiently cellared, and passionately sought after than Vega Sicilia’s Único. Eminent critic Hugh Johnson said “Vega Sicilia is the Latour” of Spain, and their collectible Único has earned a place alongside the finest Grand Cru Burgundy, First Growth Bordeaux, and the cult Cabernets of Napa. 

Único is an investment-grade wine that tends to appreciate in value, and the 2015—grown in a beautifully ripe vintage—earned 98-point scores from both James Suckling and Decanter, plus 97 from the eminent Wine Advocate. Aged nearly ten years (half in barrel and oak vat, the rest in bottle), it’s the definition of a world-class wine. 

Released at a price that delivers phenomenal value when compared with the only wines on an equal footing with Vega Sicilia—Bordeaux’s First-Growths and well-known cult Napa Cabs—the 2015 edition comprises 96% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon grown on vines averaging 40 years of age. It aged for nearly a decade in barrel and bottle, a process that started in French and American oak barrels, progressed to oak vats, then to bottle.  

While this wine could age for close to another 20 years, it’s already hitting its stride now. Único is a must-experience bottle for anyone interested in the world’s great wines, and the 2015 is a stunner that will pay off with loads of pleasure, whether you indulge now or hold it for the future.