Ratings & Tasting Notes:

100 points — Jeb Dunnuck
Blending 96% Tempranillo and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Vega Sicilia estate, usually from the same plots of forty-year-old vines, it opens in expressive, juicy, lush pomegranate and dark cherry carried by supple, silky tannins and bright acidity. Dunnuck finds the length and structure remarkable, notes the grapes were harvested al dente — crisp, fresh and juicy, perfectly ripe — and describes tremendous balance between the wine’s acidity and freshness and its full-bodied power. He expects it to age sixty years, and observes that this is winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga’s first vintage.

98 points — Decanter
Very whole and round, with a generous width on the mid-palate offset by an assertive energy, supported by vivid acidity and a well-presented tannic framework. The reviewer offers it as an interesting counterpoint to the more chiselled linearity of the 2014, with all elements very much in their right place but the fruit still unapologetically punchy. Cocoa powder, dry tobacco leaves and seaweed hover over juicy plum, dark cherry and black olive, closing on a very long, spicy finish with lingering tapenade and salty liquorice.

98 points — Vinous (Joaquín Hidalgo, June 2025)
Silky and layered, the palate featuring chalky tannins and a smooth texture, offering depth and nuance. Subtle oak, fresh plum and herbs combine for a long, refined finish. A classic expression of elegant Ribera.

98 points — James Suckling
Suckling advises sitting back and enjoying it if you intend to open it now. Impeccably structured, it is vertical before going extremely long and linear — a consistent Único that seduces with a hint of iron-like minerality and rusticity. Drink on release or hold.

Cult Wines International Notes:

Vega Sicilia was founded in Ribera del Duero in 1864 and is widely regarded as Spain’s most important wine estate. Único is its flagship and the wine that built the reputation — made only in years the house judges worthy, from the oldest plots on the estate at Valbuena de Duero, and released roughly ten years after harvest following a long and unusually complex élevage through small barrels and large oak vats before extended rest in bottle. It has been called the Latour of Spain and Spain’s first collectible wine, and it remains the reference point against which every other Spanish red is measured.

The 2015 is 96% Tempranillo with 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, drawn from plots of vines over forty years old, and it is the first Único vintage made under winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga. The year ripened quickly and the team harvested early to preserve the crunchiness of the fruit — picking al dente, as one reviewer put it. The wine is expressive and lush, with pomegranate, dark cherry, juicy plum and black olive over cocoa powder, dry tobacco leaf, cedar, graphite, herbs, salty liquorice and tapenade, carrying a distinct iron-like minerality. Silky and layered on the palate, with abundant fine-grained chalky tannins, vivid acidity and a generous mid-palate width, it finishes very long, spicy and refined. One critic gave it a perfect score and expects sixty years of life.

Bottle Size:

750 mL

Storage History:

Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.

Condition:

Outstanding condition.

Please note: The condition of the bottle you will receive is accurately reflected by the one shown in the images.