1970 Unico Gran Reserva

The 1970 Único magnum has for a long time been considered one of the greatest wines from Vega Sicilia ever, even if there might be some bottle variation, as not all the bottles were filled at the same time, and the time between the first and last bottling could have been up to five years or more. The 1970 magnums were released much later than the regular bottles, and every one I've had has been nothing short of phenomenal. This one was no exception. My scribbling was enthusiastic: "atomic bottle, better than the '68. It's still young and lively; it has fruit and a juicy texture. Perfect tannins!" It was produced with 70% Tinto Fino, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot and Malbec bottled at a moderate 13% alcohol. The wine feels very young, partly because it was a great vintage but also because the wine stayed for at least five years in large oak vats, where the wine evolves at a very slow pace, then it spent no less than 10 years in barrels, used and quite neutral, where the evolution was also slow. It was also a good crop, and 94,500 bottles and 2,000 magnums were produced. Artwork by Benjamín Palencia. The magnums were released after the year 2000 as full-fledged Ribera del Duero appellation wines, even if the appellation was not created until 1982.