1968 | Vega Sicilia | Unico

Pure perfection, soaring from the glass in a very deep, pure and complex blend of plums, black cherries, a touch of desiccated black fruit, sweet balsamic tones, chocolate, a complex base of soil, pipe tobacco, a hint of nuttiness and a lovely framing of new oak.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 1968 has an enormous reputation, but on this occasion, it was outclassed by the 1962. It is noticeably deep in color compared to coeval vintages. There are notes of black cherry, cedar, liquorice and undergrowth, yet the overall effect is that the -68 seems a little -serious-. The palate is structured and masculine with slightly drier tannins than the 1962 that leads to a comparatively foursquare, sinewy, obdurate finish. Dare I say that it probably still needs more time? Something tells me I will one day encounter a better bottle than this. 45,300 bottles produced.

• John Gilman: The cépages of the 1968 is seventy percent tempranillo, twenty percent cabernet sauvignon and ten percent a mix of merlot, malbec and albillo. It spent the first five years of its elevage in the very large, two hundred and twenty hectoliter vats and then the next six years in small barrels, all of them used and all of them American oak, so the legendary 1968 never saw any new oak during its long time in vat and cask! This bottle of the 1968 in Houston was pure perfection, soaring from the glass in a very deep, pure and complex blend of plums, black cherries, a touch of desiccated black fruit, sweet balsamic tones, chocolate, a complex base of soil, pipe tobacco, a hint of nuttiness and a lovely framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and even a bit more powerful at the core than the 1970, but with the same impeccable balance and grip, still a bit of modest tannin, tangy acids and great focus on the long, complex and simply stunning finish. I should note that we had this vintage again at our New York event in February, where we did not give it quite as much time in decanter, and the wine was still hunkered down and slightly closed, so make sure to treat the 1968 to plenty of aeration (two hours or more) prior to serving it, if you are interested in drinking it today! A legendary vintage of Vega, the 1968 delivers all of the promise that it was long rumored to possess before the wine was finally released at twenty years of age.

Producer Information

Vega Sicilia is widely regarded as the greatest wine producer in Spain. The estate in Ribera del Duero is known for its dense, complex red wines made principally from the Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) grape variety. Its top wine, Unico, is one of Spain's most expensive and sought-after wines. The Vega Sicilia estate covers around 1000 hectares (2470 acres) of which around 210ha (520 acres) is under vine. It has been in operation since 1864, long before the development of the appellation in which it resides, and the current wine styles date from the 1910s. Quality has become more consistent since the current owners, the Alvarez family, took over in 1982. The vineyards are planted to around 80 percent Tempranillo with the remainder taken up by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and tiny amounts of Malbec. Yields are kept low, aided by green harvesting and painstaking grape selection. Winery operations are just as meticulous, with a complicated series of rackings from large barrels to barriques, mixing old and new oak and leading to wines that are capable of long aging.

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