Tasting Notes
Vinous 96
(roughly 85% tempranillo and 15% cabernet sauvignon; aged for a total of seven years in large oak vats, new small barrels, used small barrels and large oak vats to rest before bottling, in that order): Inky ruby: doesn’t look like a ten-year old wine. A heady, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, vanilla, pipe tobacco, new leather and potpourri, with a subtle mineral flourish. Spicy, sweet and expansive, offering palate-staining cherry compote and cassis flavors with exotic violet and chewing tobacco qualities. Deepens and gains spiciness on the smooth, gently tannic finish, which lingers with superb focus and tenacity.
JancisRobinson.com 18.5
Deep garnet. Incredibly aromatic with warm, damp cedar-wood and dense, dried black fruit. Concentrated with muscular tannin that has, no doubt, contributed to the wine holding up so well and feeling so vibrant at 21 years of age. Very long. A teensy-tiny bit of funk complementing the oak and fruit. (SCJ)
Anticipated maturity: 2014-2034
James Suckling 98
A very classy Unico with tight, fine-grained tannins. Savory tar and dried leaves mingle with blackcurrant and wild blackberry, alongside hints of dried oregano. So refined and driven. You can feel the cabernet character shining through. This will go a long way. 87% tempranillo and 13% cabernet sauvignon. Tasted from magnum. Drink or hold.
Decanter 98
Sumptuously aromatic with baskets of berries. Arrives in the mouth as promised on the nose. For enjoying already with its plump fruit, layered with sweet spices and a tang of white pepper. The tannins come in smoothly. This vintage is distinctive for being the last to have such a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (13%). I gave this the identical score in 2016. A typical winter followed by a mild spring, warm summer with rain at the right time . 15 months in large-capacity wooden vats, 17 months in new barrels, then another 26 months in large-capacity wooden vats. Released in 2014. 87,516 bottles, 2,227 magnums, 156 double magnums and five Imperials. Tasted from magnum.
Anticipated maturity: 2022-2048
