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Ribera del Duero
Vega Sicilia
Vega Sicilia - Ribera del Duero Unico 2016
Vega Sicilia - Ribera del Duero Unico 2016

Vega Sicilia - Ribera del Duero Unico 2016

Ribera del Duero|Red wine

99/100

Robert Parker

98/100

James Suckling

18,5/20

Jancis Robinson

Spain
Tempranillo
to be decanted
exceptional
high-flying

"This vintage is one of the longest-aged in the world: a 10-year wait for an extraordinary wine available in very limited quantities!"

“ ’s Le Único 2016 was aromatic and elegant, reflecting a very good vintage in the region. Winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga began in 2015, a powerful year, and he recalls 2016 as a very balanced year, with higher yields and more refined wines. [...] It possesses the classic Vega aroma—intoxicating, complex, and nuanced—full of personality and very energetic on the palate, vibrant and fresh, without lacking power but with great elegance. [...]. This is a monumental vintage of Único. [...] 2027–2046” (Robert Parker 2026)

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21722 reviews
-20€

Starting at €99 on your first order

Estate

Vega Sicilia

Vintage

Unico

Vintage

2016

Designation

Ribera del Duero

Region

Spain

Grape Varieties

96% Tempranillo (Tinto Fino), 4% Cabernet Sauvignon

Regions

Castilla y León region, plots with soils located at the junction of the slopes descending from the region and the alluvial plain; sandy-clay soils; vines averaging 40 years old; at an elevation between 700 and 900 meters

Viticulture

Traditional and refined

Grape Harvest

Manuals

Wine Production

Temperature-controlled fermentation in wooden vats using indigenous yeast; malolactic fermentation in a wooden vat

Livestock Farming

Over a total of 10 years in barrels and bottles, the wine undergoes various stages in different types of barrels: French and American oak barrels, 225-liter barrels (new and used), 20,000-liter barrels... Each batch determines the type of wood and the length of time spent in each vessel (5 years in wood), followed by an additional 5 years of aging in bottles

Alcohol content

14,5%

Eye

Purple color, elegance, brilliant luster

Nose

With a rich, complex bouquet, it initially reveals a spectrum of fruits—crushed blackberries and black cherries—followed by notes of violets, oriental spices, and cocoa beans that delight the nose.

Palate

Silky on the palate, with smooth, velvety tannins; structured in distinct layers; complex aromas that echo those found on the nose; a long, delicious finish that leaves an indelible impression on the palate

Serve

Served in a carafe at 18°C

Open

2 hours before

Drink starting at

2026

Drink before

2060

Food and Wine Pairings

Food and Wine Pairings

Enjoy it with a beef tenderloin served with truffle-infused mashed potatoes, guinea fowl, or a leg of lamb with chanterelle mushrooms...

More information at Vega Sicilia

More information at Ribera del Duero

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

Wine rated (2026 guide) 99/100 (Exceptional)

Estate rated "Recommended" (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker—The Wine Advocate)

About the wine:

The 2016 Único was aromatic and elegant, reflecting a very good vintage in the region. Winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga began in 2015, a powerful year, and he recalls 2016 as a very balanced year, with higher yields and more refined wines. The winter was mild, the spring cooler than average, and the summer hot. September was dry, resulting in healthy grapes and balanced ripening. The harvest began on September 22 and ended on October 11. The bottled wine is 96% Tinto Fino and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an alcohol content of 14.5%, a pH of 3.82, and an acidity of 4.8 grams. It possesses Vega’s classic aroma—intoxicating, complex, and nuanced—full of personality and very energetic on the palate, vibrant and fresh, powerful yet elegant. The wine is released 10 years after harvest, having spent time in new and used American and French oak barrels and in 20,000-liter oak vats, and it naturally spends a great deal of time in the bottle. This is a monumental vintage of Único. A total of 92,292 bottles, 3,695 magnums, and a few larger formats were produced. It was bottled in May 2022. 2027–2046
Jancis Robinson

Jancis Robinson

Wine rated (2025 guide) 18,5/20

About the wine:

Stylistically, this is a tertiary wine, but far from being faded. Notes of black tea, leather, and earth emerge with remarkable purity and precision, framed by hints of cedar and an elegant aromatic touch. The palate is surprisingly delicate, with integrated, refined tannins enhanced by subtle spicy notes—hints of clove and sandalwood—that add nuance. While 2014 and 2015 were hot years, 2016 was not cool, but certainly less hot, resulting in a wine that is slightly less concentrated, more refined, and whose primary liveliness remains intact. Hints of black cherry and blackcurrant mingle with a distinctive freshness reminiscent of a pine forest, and the oak, skillfully integrated, plays a supporting role. Único is undergoing a subtle evolution: less overtly oaky and more transparent, it exudes a purity that enhances the estate’s signature character rather than altering it. A wine capable of lighting up a dining room simply by making its way across the room to the table, and one that will be the pride of collectors and admirers alike. 2026–2060
James Suckling

James Suckling

Wine rated (2025 guide) 98/100

About the wine:

A beautifully balanced Vega that is already approachable. Everything is in harmony, revealing an almost ethereal quality that contrasts with the denser 2015 vintage. It offers a hint of minerality combined with aromas of blackberries and black cherries. The tannins are firm but softened. Medium- to full-bodied with a finish that lingers for a minute. Ready to drink or worth cellaring.

No rating available

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