Vega Sicilia Único 2016

Vega Sicilia is Spain's most storied estate, founded over 150 years ago at Valbuena de Duero in Ribera del Duero. Único is its flagship, made only in the strongest vintages from Tinto Fino, the local Tempranillo, with a portion of Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyards sit on the high Castilian plateau, where calcareous clay and gravel soils and a continental climate of hot days and very cold nights ripen the grapes slowly while holding firm acidity and dark colour. The ageing is unusually long and built in stages: 18 months in oak barrels and a further 42 months in large wooden vats of 80 to 220 hectolitres. The large format gives very slow, gentle oxidation that polishes the powerful tannin and knits oak into fruit over years, before further time in bottle develops tertiary depth. The colour is deep garnet. The nose is complex, with dark plum, black pepper, tobacco, leather and cocoa over fine cedar. The palate is full and structured, the tannin fine-grained and the finish long and savoury. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanted well ahead. It suits roast and grilled red meats.