Had this tasting a few months ago, my group decided to look through their top end bottlings starting with Valbuena, Unico, and Unico Reserva Especial. I still find Valbuena hard to understand, it is a good wine though. The Unico was beautiful with layers of flavors, thought provoking, and well yes it is Unique. The Reserva Especial was out of this world, it is literally an Unico x 3!
We started with a Manzanilla from Equipo Navazos which was perfectly paired with some Jamon Iberico de Bellota Joselito Gran Reserva 2008 vintage. For the Vega Sicilia’s we had a Gooducken (goose+duck+chicken) with a foie gras and chorizo stuffing. The night ended with Vega’s Hungarian venture, Oremus Tokaji 6 puttonyos 2000 paired with pineapple flambé and coconut ice cream.
Equipo Navazos La Bota Manzanilla 32
Sanlucar de Barrameda, Jerez, Cadiz, Andalusia
Spain
Exhibiting a pale golden color with a slight green hue on the rims. Crisp aromas of iodine, sea breeze, lemon peel, lanoline, oxidized green apples, and roasted nuts. Vibrant nutty, citric, rancid, and saline flavors on the palate accompanied by lush texture. Very long finish that makes your mouth salivate, an incredible mid bodied Manzanilla.
93+ points
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 2002
Valbuena del Duero, Ribera del Duero, Castilla y León
Spain
On the eye the wine shows a dark core with a crimson rim, some of the age is showing with the slightest hints of brick color emerging on the edges of the rim. Generously open on the nose with aromas of plums, sour cherries, leather, tobacco, graphite, smoke, musty earthiness, with a small dose of vegetable stock on the end. It still retains some dark fruit flavors on the attack that are balanced by the sour cherries, dark chocolate, and refreshing acidity on the mid-palate. A medium length finish filled with sweet spices, minerality, and polished tannins. A mid-bodied wine with silky texture, already at its peak and drinkable for a decade or more.
92 points
Vega Sicilia Unico 1990
Valbuena del Duero, Ribera del Duero, Castilla y León
Spain
The color shows an aged wine with a dark core and red brick rims, very complex aromas of dried plums, blackberries, sour cherries, cassis, licorice, cedar, leather, charcoal, smoke, damp earth, roasted meats, sweet spices, crushed stones, and hints of volatile acidity. A mid-bodied wine with silky textures, the attack shows sweet plum flavors leading to a mid-palate with sour cherries, roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and hints of orange peel. The finish is dense with flavors of roasted meats, sweet spices, a small hint of creamy vanilla, crushed stones, as well as silky tannins. It definately has a slight similarity to an aged Pomerol, drinkable at this moment but could last for a couple of decades more.
96 points
Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial
Valbuena del Duero, Ribera del Duero, Castilla y León
Spain
This Reserva Especial is the 2011 release, a blend of Unico vintages 1991, 1994, and 1998. It still exhibits a vibrant young color with an inky black core and violet rims. Very musty animal aromas at first that eventually give way to a very characteristic Ribera del Duero nose. Concentrated aromas of plums, figs, blackberries, dark cherries, cassis, leather, roasted coffee beans, violets, incense, tar, Indian spices, and roasted meats. Rich flavors of plums, blackberries, raspberries, dark cherries on the attack that continue on to the mid-palate they intermingle with flavors of coffee, dark chocolate, raspberries, roasted meats, charcoal, herbs, and bright acidity. The finish absorbs all the flavors and concentrates it along with indian spices, crushed stones, and sappy tannins. A mid to full bodied wine with silky texture, a concentrated expression of Unico with decades of life to it.
98+ points
Oremus Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos 2000
Hegyalja, Tokaj, Borsod Abauj Zemplen
Hungary
The wine exhibits a dark golden copper color, something you drink with your eyes before it even drips on to your palate. Aromas of apricots, honey, orange skin, cloves, cinnamon, white pepper, and a bit of crushed white rocks. Dense but not over cloying on the palate, viscous texture with flavors of figs, apricots, mango, pineapple, honey, orange peel, sweet spices, and great minerality on the finish.
94 points