Does any one know why this wasn’t released? or made? Seems strange that this wasn’t made in such a great vintage.
I looked back, and it wasn’t discussed. Audouze claims he tasted it, and said he loved it.
Having skipped over releasing a 2001 due to frost damage, the 2002 Unico is a result of a severe selection as attested by the label which shows that just 42,932 bottles were produced instead of 108,536 in 2000.
You want an Unico 2001??? Drink the Valbuena 2001. All the surviving fruit that otherwise would have gone to Unico, went into the Valbuena that year.
I was just surprised, that’s all.
Good to know. I’m sure it’s pricey and/or hard to find at this point.
Easy to find overseas for $120-ish/bottle. A little harder here in the states, but wine-searcher shows some availabilities.
Ian - there was a late spring frost in RdD. That killed many blooms. So there was a second flowering. The thinking at Vega Sicilia was that the fruit from a second flowering is not as good - it won’t have the same hang time, sun load, nutrient delivery, etc. So although after the late frost it was a great year, you don’t find Unico.
I’ve asked the winemaker and owner about it and also the former winemaker, who did in fact put out his own wines in 2001. There’s a difference of opinion. I like all those folks and don’t want to cast aspersions but my hunch is also that there’s some marketing here. BTW, tasted the 2007, which is the next to be released, and it is stellar. The 2005 will be held back a bit longer.