This is an attempt to write down my experiences with the Unicos of Vega Sicilia in an comprehensive article. My tasting notes are taken from various vertical tastings over the last two years. The most recent was on Thursday, 24th of July 1997 and containded 1953, 1962, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1982, 1985 and a Reserva Especial released in 1983.

1942 Unico (tasted twice; last tasted January 1997): Deep garnet colour with some orange at the edges; the very concentrated nose offers porty aromas as well as hints of truffels, coffee, cocoa and caramel; on the palate the wine is not completely dry and offers very good concentration as well as good balancing acitity and still noticible smooth tannins; its structure is amazing and harmony and I suppose that any well stored bottle should bring a lot of joy for some more years. This is my favorite of the fully mature Unicos and it was not showing any weakness or signs of going down.

1953 Unico (tasted once July 1997): Garnet colour with redbrown edges; in the concentrated nose the wine displays aromas of cherries, vanilla, licorice, iodine, tar and butter as well as the typical volatile acidity; in the mouth there is good weight and still some tannin but the ī53 seems far more evolved than the ī42; also the harmony of its elements is beginning to fade so I would opt for drinking it soon as long as it stil offers so much pleasure.

1957 Unico (tasted once May 1997): Brick-red colour with strong orange at the edges; the nose shows an considerable amount of oxidation and a unpleasant amount of volatile acidity; on the palate the wine is disjointed with the acidity beginning do dominate the taste; as I tasted this bottle at the bodega I fear it was representative and clearly going down.

1962 Unico (tasted 4 times from regular bottle and twice from Magnum; last tasted from regular bottle in July 1997): My impressions of this wine depend a lot of the bottle size so I will describe both: Regular bottle: my tasting notes indicate a slow but steadily decline; TN from July 97; garnet colour with a light-red edge; slightly oxidized gasing nose of medium concentration showing aromas of vanilla, caramel, oak, leather and overripe appels; on the palate the wine posesses medium concentration and a touch of portlike sweetness but is lacking a little bit grip and power; seems to be past its best in this format and I donīt think there are reasons not to drink it up soon. Magnum (last tasted October 1996): dark ruby red colour; in the nose some porty sweetness; later you can intensily smell vanilla, graphite, red cherries and some overripe character from the hot vintage; the wine tastes still youthful: it posesses great extract and defintion, still remarkable tannins and velvetly aromas of pepper and sweet almost jammy cherries that finsh with an sweet-sour spicy aftertaste. Absolutely delicious and in this format cellaring for at least 10-15 more years should be no problem.

1964 Unico (tasted once in February 1997): Brick-red colour with light orange edge; in the nose very concentrated aromas of jammy red fruits and tabac; very harmonious; on the palate this wine posesses adequate acidity, medium body and concentration and a silky elegant structure featuring aromas of overripe berries; my feelings suggest this wine is at its peak and should be drunken soon. Looking back this reminded my somehow of the 1953 in style but more fragile and elegant.

1968 Unico (tasted 5 times, last tasting July 1997): My TNīs about the 1968 rated it always as the potentially best Unico I have tasted but I experienced a lot of bottle variation due to the differing sources and cellars the wines came from; this May in Barcekona I had a bottle that was almost perfect but this was because it was much more developed than the bottels I had before and afterwards; my TNīs are taken from the most recent tasting in July 1997; ruby-garnet colour with light red edges; gasing nose of pastry, mocca, coffee; also aromas of oak and cedar; very good concentration; in the mouth it still tastes very youthful and unevolved showing strong acidity, extract and tannins as well as superb concentration and a very long aftertaste; has outstanding potential and will surely benfit from further cellaring; anticipated maturity 2000-2020 +

1970 Unico (tasted 4 times; last tasted July 1997): The 1970 is showing stronger and stronger every time I taste it; at the moment I give it an edge over the 1968; ruby colour with purole light red edge; incredible superconcentrated nose with aromas of blueberries, plums, vanilla and licorice; on the palate medium acidity, velvetly ripe tannins and exellent concentration and focus; this has the necessary structure and extract to age effortlessly for 20 + years; for me the 1970 along with the 1968 are the most promising wines Vega Sicilia has released since the 1942; it is also interesting that the 1970 I.M.O. is the wine that anounces the change in style and vinification that is evident in the younger vintages: more focus on freshness, cleanness and elegance and less of the volatile acidity and porty aromas of the past; this is the signature of Mariano Garcia (Vegasīs winemaker).

1974 Unico (tasted 3 times, last tasted July 1997): This is a wine I have consistently rated higher ervery time I had it; youthful ruby colour with light-red to purple edges; in the nose you get a touch of surmaturité as well as concentrated aromas of cassis, hey, licorice, oak and cedary; on the palate this wine posseses medium to full concentration and body, excellent structure and an elegant charcacter featuring spicy aromas and ripe berries; also accessible now this wine will age for 20 more years without any problem. Compared in style to the 1975 this is much more elegant and focussed, while the 1975 impresses with its succelent jammy fruit and its enormous power; this is matter of personal taste.

1975 Unico (tasted once from Magnum and twice from regular bottle; last tasted July 1997): Again I found a big difference between the quality from regular bottle and Magnum; when we had the Magnum in January 1997 - Victor was there - Mariano Garcia told me that he had never before tasted such a good example of the 1975 Unico. So I think its appropriate to split the TNīs. Regular bottle (tasted July 1997): ruby colour with purple edges; the opulent nose offers aromas of plums, ripe apples and oak; in the mouth the 1975 shows full body, medium acidity and a full blown character that ends with a medium long lush aftertaste; in this bottle size it seems to have reached full maturity and will drink fine until 2010. Magnum: redblack colour with purple edges; excellent intense youthful nose of vanilla and licorice; on the palate much better stucture and focus than the regular bottle; still very youthful with considerable tannins and very good balancing acidity; seems much more elegant and refined; posesses very good concentration and extract and a tremendous aftertaste; drinkable now it will develop gracefully for 20+ years.

1976 Unico (tasted once from Magnum in February 1996): Dark ruby colour with medium red edges; in the nose some volatile acidity and aromas of herbs; in the mouth it shows a silky smooth texture, good structure, medium body and ripe tannins that finish with a medium-long structured aftertaste; anticipated maturity now - 2006; this is a more understated style of Unico but nevertheless good drinking; a wine for food.

1979 Unico (tasted once from Magnum in October 1996): Deep red colour with purple edges; the nose offers vanilla, black cherries, spices, cedary and after some aeration notes of chocolate and mint; on the palate you can feel mild acidity, ripe smooth tannins and very good concentration despite the more elegant architecture; the medium-long finish has a nice spicy touch; drinkable now -2005.

1981 Unico (to be released in 1998; tasted once in July 1996): This is my favorite of the bottled Unicos of the eighties; nice ruby colour with medium red edges; very sophisticated aristocratic nose of exotic spices; on the palate excellent structure and focus; drinkable on release until 2010+; this is the elegant expressive style Mariano Garcia is looking for since he took over responsibility; a wine of finesse and and uncommon clearness of the aromas; outstanding.

1982 Unico (tasted twice; last tasted July 1997): I was never impressed by this Unico vintage which I consider should have been declassified; ruby colour with purple edges; gasing nose with strong volatile acidity showing a slightly underripe character with aromas of green apples; on the palate the 1982 lacks elegance and stucture and seems to be loosely knit; again somehow green tannins here; puts on some weight in the glass but is still nothing special; I doubt whether it will benefit from further cellaring but it should stay on this level for 10 more years.

1985 Unico (tasted twice, last tasted July 1997): Red-black thick colour with purple edges; fresh nose with noticible volatile acidity along with aromas of redcurrant and pepper; in the mouth there is good weight, medium acidity and tannins as well as medium to full body; for now this is very good and still youthful but it lacks that little something to make it outstanding; accessible now and should develop until at least 2010.

1986 Unico (to be released in 1998, tasted once in January 1997): Deep red colour with purple edges; some reduction notes at first that quckly disapear; than you can smell concentrated aromas of ripe apples and butter; tasted blind this could have been a California Cabernet; very atypical jammy opulent powerful nose; on the palate this is a velvetly textured wine of full body and concentration with good balancing acidity and ripe tannins; long harmonious aftertaste; enjoyible now through 2016. I prefer the 1986 to the 1985 because of its very pleasant appeal but I must admit that it is not the style I expect to find in an Unico: I hope the 1986 is not the signal for a change in style because I.M.O. there are enough wines on the marketplace that even if they are very concentrated and well made all resemble one eachother and lack what I feel is the "conditio sine qua non" for a great wine: the unique character and personality: The world does not need any more Le Pins or Valandrauds or Dominque Laurents or Dominio de Pingus. What we need is an unique expression of the terroir and grape varieties that form the wine: There is no technical rule like RPīs low yields, old vines, no fining and filtration and 100 percent or more new oak to make a great wine. First of all its the vineyard itself and the vintner that understands it. The tools mentioned before are important but a knowledgeble winemaker will use them whereever he feels appropriate and not let himself be dominated by them.

Unico Reserva Especial released 1995 (tasted once in February 1996): This Reserva Especial contains 50 percent 1985 with the balance 1979 and 1968. Deep red colour with purple edge; in the nose pepper and vegetable aromas, lateron spices and pears; on the palate there is a thick texture, strong tannins, a spicy character and a medium to long aftertaste; outstanding; anticipated maturity now - 2010.

Unico Reserva Especial released 1983 (tasted once july 1997): I have absolutely no idea of the years making the cuvée. Brick-red colour with an orange edge; strong notes of maderasation as well as aromas of bacon, coffee, tabac and some sweetness; on the palate the wine is clearly in decline with its components getting out of balance; the finish is medium long with a dominating unagreable amount of acidity; drink up.

1994 Unico (tasted from barrel in July 1996): Very deep almost black colour; in the nose an explosion of jammy overripe berries, uncredibly concentrated; on the palate there is low acidity and layer upon layer of fruit that must be tasted to be believed; the density and extract are mindboggling; Mariano Garcia expressed reservations about the aging potential due to the lower than normal acidity but I think that there have emerged classic wines from simialar vintages (i.e. the 1947 Pomerols) that had the same characterstics - high alcohol, low acidity and a pronounced surmaturité - and have aged gtacefully.

I think thatīs enough for now and I will finish with the following ranking:

My Unico ranking (for now): 1. 1942 Unico
2. 1968 and 1970 Unico
3. 1962 Unico Magnum
4. 1975 Unico Magnum y Reserva Especial (released 1995)
5. 1974 and 1981 Unico
6. 1964 Unico
7. 1986 Unico and 1979 Unico Magnum
8. 1976 Unico Magnum
9. 1953 Unico
10. 1962 and 1985 Unico
11. 1982 Unico
12. 1957 Unico
13. Reserva Especial (released 1983)