1994 Unico

A dense, intense wine with firm and chewy layers of cocoa, thyme, oregano and dark fruit, together with hints of eucalyptus and balsamic. Medium to full body with lightly chewy tannins. Broad and firm finish. 85% tempranillo and 15% cabernet sauvignon. Tasted from magnum. Drink or hold.

85% Tinto Fino, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Mild, wet spring. Harvest 28 September. After fermentation the wine remained in large-capacity wooden vats for 24 months. It then matured for 22 months in new casks, 30 months in second-use casks and 30 months in large-capacity wooden vats. From magnum. Still a very youthful bright garnet with even some purple! Distinctive nose with a note of putty. This does seem quite informed by Cabernet and is much less obviously Ribera than some vintages. Sleek and svelte but more ‘international’ than some other vintages. Slightly drying finish. Less complex than the 1996. Well made though…

The 1994 Unico is a blend of 80% Tinto Fino, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot (presumably 2% is unknown varieties) that was picked from September 28. It is very intense with notes of raspberry, wild strawberry and mulberry with sensational minerality and vigor. There is a Margaux-like florality to the 1994 that blossom with aeration. The palate is rounded and supple on the entry with great weight and backbone. There is real substance here, similar to the 1996. It expands in the mouth with ravishing notes of blackberry, strawberry, citrus lemon, orange peel and a touch of cedar. There is enormous weight on the finish, a behemoth of a Unico. This is very potent, but it still requires several years in bottle. 96,280 bottles produced.