Vega Sicilia, Unico is maybe the most famous and most expensive wine made in Spain. I have just had the good fortune to taste the 1999.
It is a beautiful, rich, concentrated wine that has a complex nose of fruits of the forest, violets, christmas cake and coconut(!). On the palate it is very dense, well balanced and has the stuffing to age for many years.
The 1998 was £1600 for 12 bottles….and I am seeing you now throwing your arms up in despair at the thought of such a splurge in such a market.. but fear not….!
Over the past 3 years we have become increasingly enamoured with their 2nd wine, Alion. A famous wine in its own right and a wine that has a very strong following in the UK.
I tasted the Alion 2005 before the Unico and I was very impressed by it. What really stood out for me was the finesse-driven palate, its fantastic balance, texture and sleek minerality. It has copious quantities of spicy cherry and plummy fruit with subtle notes of smoke and soya to round off a really thrilling tasting experience. It is a serious wine that will be drinking in 3 years time and will last for 15.
…….coming in at at least 5 times cheaper than the Unico this will be a wine to look out for in the coming months…..