2013 Vega Sicilia Único - Ribera del Duero Gran Reserva - 1 Bottle (0.75L)

DESCRIPTION

210 of the almost 1,000 hectares on the Vega Sicilia estate are used for vine growing, which include 19 different types of soil and 64 plots with very specific characteristics. The influence of the course of the Douro River and time itself have played a key role in the notable use of these soils.

The rainy end to the harvest left its imprint on the wine from this vintage. 2013 was a year to spend time in the vineyard, tend to it with care, and not rest on your laurels during harvest. A more elegant, subtle, and complex profile. The grapes are harvested from the 40 hectares used to produce Unico, a wine that ages at least ten years between barrel and bottle, representing one of the world's longest ageing processes. For the first phase, we used 225-litre French and American oak barrels to start to structure the wine; the second phase involved using 22,000-litre wooden vats. A long, complex, yet wonderful wine construction, during which they obtain endless nuances, definition, texture, and depth over time. This incredible terroir and the unique ageing process make our wines timeless when they aged.

2013 is a subtle, elegant, fresh, vertical, complex, silky, and well-defined vintage. This wine is a true paradox, enjoyable to drink now, but timeless when allowed to age in bottle.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Alcohol by volume 14 %
Variety 97 % Tinto Fino and 3 % Cabernet-Sauvignon
Average age of vineyard 33 years
Vineyard surface area 210 ha (Finca Vega Sicilia)
Planting density 2,222 plants/ha
Altitude 700 - 900 m
Yield 3,600 kg/ha - 25.2 Hl/ha
Harvest Hand-picked in 12 kg crates from 27 September to 17 October

2013 VINEYARD CYCLE

A mild winter with slightly higher temperatures and less rainfall than the year-on-year average saw budburst brought forward by seven days. However, spring rains and relatively low temperatures led to flowering and veraison occurring ten days later in the cycle compared to the previous year.

Normal temperatures in summer, but somewhat dry with the several storms, causing minimum damage. September saw normal temperatures, but with lower minimum temperatures, meaning there was large thermal amplitude between day and night.

Harvest took place from the end of September through to mid-October with abundant rainfall, so the major efforts in the vineyard ensured the grapes were in perfect health and ripeness when they entered the winery.

STORAGE, SERVING AND DRINKING WINDOW

This wine is suitable for drinking now, but it can be aged for up to 40 - 60 years if stored in the ideal conditions of: 12-14 ºC / 54-57 ºF and 60 % relative humidity.

The recommended drinking temperature is 18 ºC / 64 ºF.

PRODUCTION

76,476 Bordeaux, 3,658 Magnum, 362 Double Magnum, 59 Imperial, and 6 Salmanazar bottles.

YEAR BOTTLED

June 2019