1980 Unico Gran Reserva
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Tasting notes
With the 1980, we go back to the time when the varietal composition was a lot more varied, and the 1980 Único was produced with 60% Tinto Fino, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 10% between Malbec and the white Albillo, which was often used in the past. The wine shows very well; it's charming, with aromatic complexity, classical, with notes of tobacco and a polished and elegant palate. This was a surprise. 2,000 magnums produced at the time. Artwork by Antonio López.
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
60% Tinto Fino, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Malbec and Albillo. Spring frost and irregular summer weather resulted in a late harvest (20 October). The wine remained in large wooden tanks until September 1981, then aged in new French oak casks for 8 months, after which it was decanted to progressively older casks during 5 further years of ageing. 38,480 bottles and 2,000 magnums. From magnum. Transparent ruby. Extremely heady and lifted. Ripe and sweet. A bit wild and raw on the end but with masses of punch and life. Perhaps the best 1980 I have ever tasted?! Incredible that the terroir is asserting itself over the Cabernet. Sweet fruity finish. (JR)
In Spain the country came out of a 40-year dictatorship and we suffered a lack of winemaking knowledge and hardware but it certainly measures up to the company’s standards, says Javier Ausas. High VA. Certainly not a modern wine! A little rustic but heartfelt. Very concentrated and ripe within a dusty, slightly tart framework. It feels as though we are entering a different era… (JR)
Shiitake mushroom, earth, baked plums, ripe vegetal characters. Absolutely bewitching. What a palate too – this is beyond scores and tasting notes, really, but that is not to say it doesn’t deserve every point of its 20. (RH)
About the producer
Vega Sicilia is undoubtably Spain’s most famous winery; a true icon in fine wine with a history dating back to 1864.