1966 Vega Sicilia Único - Valbuena de Duero Gran Reserva - 1 Bottle (0.75L)

Free Shipping

Wine: Vega-Sicilia Bodegas - "Único" Year 1966.
Tirada y numeración: Very limited production of 44,000 bottles (compared to 91,000 of the 1965 vintage, making it rarer). (Note in the file the individual bottle number punched to the right of the lower box).
Parker points: 94–95 / 100 (Historical critic rating for the 1966 vintage, considered superior and longer-lived than 1965).
Fill level: Upper shoulder / Base of the neck (if one of the four bottles in the first photograph, where all maintained an outstanding level above the high shoulder; confirm it in profile when taking the individual photos).
Label condition: stained / scraped / written / torn / loose. Original label intact with uniform yellow patina and vertical humidity marks from the cellar, but without tears and with full legibility of the year (YEAR 1966), historical medals, production quota and the president's signature on the base.
Capsule condition: Excellent or Capsule corroded / cut / cracked (depending on the surface wear of the garnet-colored lead seen at the top, with no signs of cork sinking or protruding).
Bottle size: 75 cl (0.75 L).
Bottler: Bottled by Château (Bottled on the estate by Bodegas Vega Sicilia, S.A., Valbuena de Duero, Valladolid).
2. History of the wine and curiosities of this label (Year 1966)
The 1966 Vega-Sicilia "Único" vintage shares a pivotal moment in the winery's history: it was vinified at origin by Jesús Anadón and its ten-year aging in wooden vats, American and French oak casks, with bottling overseen by Mariano García, reaching the market in the mid-70s.
Curious detail to highlight in the description: If you compare this 1966 label with your 1965 bottle, you will see a historical printing quirk at Vega Sicilia: while in 1965 they used a plate that said "HARVEST 1965" and included the top line with the grape varieties, for 1966 they returned to the identical classic design as your 1953 bottle, indicating "YEAR 1966" and without the top line of varieties. Both variants are 100% original from the winery and reflect the alternating use of print label lots during the 70s. Being prior to the D.O. Ribera del Duero (1982), it preserves the historical classification of "Fine Table Wine".