Unico, Vega Sicilia 2002

Having skipped over releasing a 2001 due to frost damage, the 2002 Unico is a result of a severe selection as attested by the label which shows that just 42,932 bottles were produced instead of 108,536 in 2000. It has an incredibly intense nose, much more linear and focused than the more flamboyant 2000, with scents of dark cherry, creme de cassis and a touch of honey and melted dark chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied with a slight grainy texture on the entry, a hint of cooked meat inflecting the layers of toasty dark berry fruit. It is very harmonious and perhaps at this juncture, edgier and grittier than the millennial Unico. It is less opulent and more structured than the 2000, but is a more cerebral wine. Drink 2020-2040+.

This is wonderfully open on the palate with a delicious, savory array of cloves, charcoal, currants, stewed dark fruit, balsamic and some grilled meat. Lightly grainy tannins. Pure dark fruit underpinned by roasted tobacco leaves. Chewy at the end. 95% tempranillo and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Tasted from magnum. Drink or hold.

20% of Cabernet and those unknown grapes spice the Tempranillo this year. Tasted straight after the Valbuena of the same vintage this nose was immediately much more compelling. Taut, exciting, multi-faceted, the wine seemed quite different from older vintages - maybe simply because I have never tasted older vintages at this early stage - but I couldn't help but see the resemblance to the smooth richness of Pomerol. Compared with the Toro wine though, this has much more savouriness.