"the Lafite of Spain"
Vega-Sicilia Unico: Selections from 1962 - 1985
A Singular Cellar of Unico Rarities
Rarely do you see a collection like this.
These wines were bought a long time ago by a single collector. They are in beautiful shape with a few vintages coming to us still in their original wooden boxes.
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Vega-Sicilia is perhaps the greatest estate in Spain - Michael Broadbent is who we quoted above with the "Lafite of Spain" comment. Vega is an estate with an unquestionable track record of greatness going back to the 19th Century.
There is nothing else quite like Unico.
Unico is made primarily with Tempranillo blended with the key Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc). References to the great Bordeaux are common, though Unico is unique. Unico is famously, notoriously age-worthy and the estate itself has a rather dramatic releasing program (magnums of the 1970 were not released until 2001).
As such, the wines in this offering have to be considered as in their drinking window (the 1962, 1973, 1979) or young (the 1983 and 1985). All should be awesome.
This is an estate, a wine, whose reputation is huge, whose history is long. Therefore we'll keep it short today, especially given the provenance and the extremely sharp pricing. (We'd recommend scrolling down to the bottom of the email, there's a little 1990 Valbuena surprise down there for Vega fans.)
Quantities are very limited - please give us your order and we will do our best. To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director of Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
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1962 Único
Wine Advocate, tasted in 2010: "The 1962 Unico offers an ethereal, complex perfume leading to an elegant, spicy, dowager of a wine that is a bit dry in the finish." Michael Broadbent's Vintage Wine: "good flavour and texture"
1973 Único
In 750mls Parker has not given the wine great reviews - today, however, we present a magnum (only one magnum) and it's just a bit more expensive than the 750ml pricing which starts at $700. First come, first served.
1979 Único
Wine Advocate: "In the company of other Unicos, it appears leaner, more backward and austere. Hard tannin dominates this medium-bodied wine, which exhibits a dark ruby color with a touch of amber at the edge. Closed and spicy, this wine requires 4-5 more years of cellaring. Based on this tasting, the 1979 does not appear to be a candidate for greatness, although this bottle may have been less representative." This note is from 1995, but the bottle was a regular 750ml. The pricing today is ridiculous - only one magnum.
1983 Único
Wine Advocate: "The huge, opaque-colored 1983 Unico Reserva still tastes like a barrel sample. It is fat and grapy, with massive flavor concentration, an expansive, sweet, jammy, blackcurrant fruitiness, spicy oak, and a long, robust, spicy finish. My rating is slightly lower than it was when I tasted this wine last year, but there is no doubting the wine's awesome levels of extract. Still tasting extremely undeveloped and unevolved, it requires a decade more of cellaring, although its sweetness and great ripeness of fruit make it accessible now."
1985 Único
Wine Advocate: "Spain's most consistently great winery continues to turn out exciting wines. There are four Unico Reservas currently in the market. The 1985 Unico Reserva is already revealing considerable complexity and low acid, plump, round, rich flavors. There is no amber to be found in the wine's deep ruby/purple color. The nose offers tobacco, smoke, tar, and gobs of sweet black cherry fruit aromas. Full-bodied, with a layered, nuanced character, high glycerin (hence the sweetness in the flavors), and a lush, round, generously-endowed finish, this is a substantial as well as elegant, savory style of Unico Reserva that can be drunk now and over the next 15+ years."
1990 Valbuena
A little treat for those of you who scroll all the way to the bottom. The Valbuena is a similar blend to that of the Unico, Tempranillo with Bordeaux varieties added, but it sees shorter aging: 3 years in barrel and then 2 years bottle age. As with all Vegas, however, this wine is rare - and today we have just one case. First come, first served.