Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva 1996 — Ribera del Duero, 0.75 L

Name: Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva 1996 — Ribera del Duero, 0.75 L
Brand: Vega Sicilia
SKU: CAS-VEGA-SICILIA-UNICO-GRAN-RESERVA-RIBERA-1996-075
Price: 648.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Vega Sicilia

1996 · 0.75 L · RP 98

€ 648,00

1 in stock

Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva 1996 from Ribera del Duero: Tinto Fino with Cabernet Sauvignon, single 0.75 L bottle.

Guaranteed authentic
0.75 L
Drink 2010-2040
Cellar-stored
Photo on request
Insured shipping

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SKU: CAS-VEGA-SICILIA-UNICO-GRAN-RESERVA-RIBERA-1996-075

Key facts

Vintage: 1996
Appellation: Ribera del Duero
Classification: DO
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Tinto Fino
Drinking window: 2010–2040
Vintage rating: 92/100 — ready to drink
Format: 0.75 L
Producer: Vega Sicilia
Region: Castilla y León
Country: Spain
Type: Red
Sweetness: Dry

Ribera del Duero 1996 on the Robert Parker Wine Advocate vintage chart

Category: Ribera del Duero, Cabernet Sauvignon, Castilla y León, DO, Red, Spain, Tinto Fino, Wine

Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva 1996: a mature red from Ribera del Duero

Our suggested drinking window for Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva 1996 runs from 2010 to 2040, so the bottle is already inside it. The wine is a dry red from the Ribera del Duero DO in Castilla y León, made from Tinto Fino and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is offered as a 0.75 L bottle.

Illustration: old Tempranillo vines on the plateau, Ribera del Duero

What Unico is at Vega Sicilia

Unico is the estate’s top wine, made mainly from Tinto Fino with a small share of Cabernet Sauvignon that changes from vintage to vintage. The first Unico vintage was 1915.

Unico is aged at least 10 years between wood and bottle: about 6 years in wood and 4 in bottle. The wood is 225-litre French and American oak barrels and large wooden vats of 20,000 to 22,000 litres.

Under the DO rules a Gran Reserva needs at least 5 years of ageing, with at least 2 years in oak. Unico’s own schedule of 10 years or more is longer than that minimum.

Illustration: underground Castilian bodega, Ribera del Duero

Ribera del Duero 1996: rated 92, ready to drink

The vintage chart rates Ribera del Duero 1996 at 92 and marks it R, which stands for ready to drink. This is a rating of the whole region and year. It is not a score for this bottle.

Illustration: Ribera del Duero with roast lamb, Ribera del Duero

Vega Sicilia: founded 1864, Álvarez family since 1982

Eloy Lecanda y Chaves founded Vega Sicilia in 1864. The Álvarez family bought it in 1982, the same year Ribera del Duero received DO status. Today the estate covers about 1,000 ha, of which 210 ha are vines at 700 to 900 m altitude.

Questions buyers ask

What is Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva made from?

Mainly Tinto Fino with a small share of Cabernet Sauvignon that varies by vintage.

Is Vega Sicilia Unico 1996 ready to drink?

The vintage chart marks Ribera del Duero 1996 R, ready to drink.

How long is Vega Sicilia Unico aged before release?

Unico is aged at least 10 years between wood and bottle, about 6 in wood and 4 in bottle.

What is the difference between Unico and Unico Reserva Especial?

Unico is a vintage wine. Unico Reserva Especial is a non-vintage blend of three different Unico vintages.

Where is Vega Sicilia made?

At Finca Vega Sicilia in Valbuena de Duero, province of Valladolid, in the Ribera del Duero DO, Spain.

This bottle

Kept at controlled temperature and humidity, lying down and in the dark until dispatch.
Insured, temperature-controlled shipping: if a bottle is stolen or broken in transit, we resend it or refund it through our insurer.
Older bottles may show cellar wear on the label or capsule; it does not affect the wine and is not a reason for return. Photos of this bottle on request.
Report any damaged or missing item within 24 hours of delivery — see the terms of sale.