Vega Sicilia, Unico, Ribera del Duero 2006

Incredibly floral and beautiful with dark berry, spice, cedar and mint. Chinese plums. Asian spices. Bark. Tea. Full body, dense and so soft and complex. The finish goes on for minutes. Endless and fine. January 2017 release. This reminds me of the gorgeous 1991 or 1964. Drink forever. A wine that you want to spend time with.

Saturated ruby. An amazingly complex array of red and blue fruit preserve, spice and floral scents is accompanied by suggestions of incense, pipe tobacco, coconut and candied licorice. Utterly stains the palate with impressively concentrated yet lively, smoke- and spice-laced cherry compote, blueberry, fruitcake and violet pastille flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Sappy and broad on the endless finish, which shows outstanding thrust and dusty tannins that are absorbed by the wine's densely packed fruit.

The 2006 Único has always been a bit of a mystery to me, as I always felt it transcended the vintage character, and this magnum was not an exception. 2006 was very warm, but the wine remains fresh and has a moderate 14% alcohol. It has some grainy tannins, but it's really very good. 2,552 magnums were filled in June 2012. Artwork by Antoni Tàpies.