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1998 was a very challenging vintage in Ribera del Duero, but it happened to come after the even more challenging 1997, when they didn't bottle magnums (I don't think they produced Único at all...). So, at the time, the 1998 Único, like many wines from that vintage, was quite well received. The wine has only 13.5% alcohol (the last vintage with that percentage; from there on, every year was at least 14%), and it has some fragility. There also are some lactic notes, and the oak feels more present. It's evolving at a faster pace. This was the first vintage post-Mariano García and was fermented and aged by Javier Ausás. 2,041 magnums produced. Artwork by Luis Gordillo.
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The Wine Advocate
Jay S Miller, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Mariano Garcia’s last vintage? 92% Tinto Fino, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. Hot summer with intermittent rainfall at harvest (6 October). After fermentation the wine remained in large-capacity wooden vats for 20 months. It then matured for 24 months in new casks, 24 months in second-use casks and 19 months in large-capacity wooden vats. 76,385 bottles, 2,041 magnums, 157 double magnums. From magnum. Transparent ruby. Really fully resolved – quite a leap from the younger vintages. High-toned and sweet with really winning pure fruit on the palate and definite dustiness on the end. Unique flavours. Dry finish. Much wilder and possibly less technically perfect than the wines 1999–2014? Fun! (JR)
Ruby-red. Exotic aromas of red and dark fruits, iron, dried flowers, cured meat and tobacco are strongly reminiscent of a top vintage of Chateau Haut-Brion. Luscious cherry and cassis flavors display a superb balance of depth and structure, offering noteworthy power but a weightless quality that is simply uncanny. Candied flowers, smoky minerals and vanilla bean add complexity and extend through an endless finish. I'd love to sneak this into a tasting of 1998 Saint-Emilion and Graves wines in ten years or so.
The 1998 Unico is purple-colored with a complex bouquet of wood smoke, violets, Asian spices, mineral, blueberry, and assorted black fruits. This is followed by a full-bodied, dense, loaded wine with gobs of sweet fruit, great concentration, and layers of flavor. It will continue to evolve for another 5-7 years and drink well through 2040+. Jay Miller, Wine Advocate February 2008
About the producer
Vega Sicilia is undoubtably Spain’s most famous winery; a true icon in fine wine with a history dating back to 1864.