Vega Sicilia Único Ribera del Duero 2011

98 points Tim Atkin, MW: "''The only problem with the 2011,' says Gonzalo Iturriaga, 'is that it followed 2010.' I gave the latter wine a perfect score, so I know what he means. And yet this is still a fantastic Único in its own right. Marrying Tinto Fino with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, it's not as powerful or showy as the 2010, but has considerable elegance and finesse. Sweet, leafy, balsamic flavours are framed by perfumed French and 30% American oak, with the mint of the Cabernet surprisingly noticeable on the refreshing finish. The tannins are very fine indeed, caressing the tongue as they pass. 2025-40."

98 points James Suckling: "Very ripe with plum, spice and dried-flower aromas, as well as chocolate, fresh flowers and sandalwood. Coffee and hints of meat. Sort of decadent. Full-bodied with round, creamy tannins and an intense, juicy feel. Unique cedar and walnut undertones. So delicious now, but one for the future, too. (12/15/20)"

97 points Falstaff (9/24/21).

96 points Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate): "[$628 list] The Único released in 2021, 10 years after the harvest, is the 2011 Único, selected from 40 of their 210 hectares of vineyards. 2011 is a concentrated and ripe vintage, and they selected 95% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that were cooled in a cold room for 24 hours before being sorted; the bunches and grapes macerated at 9 to 10 degrees Celsius for three to four days, and then it was inoculated with a pied de cuve to ferment with pumping overs. Malolactic was in stainless steel, and the wine was put through a long aging, 10 years between oak and bottle, using new and used French and American oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats. For Vega Sicilia, 2011 was a fresher year than 2010, not the common idea about those vintages in Ribera del Duero. The wine has a developed nose with some notes of ripe black fruit, meat and underbrush, somewhat herbal and perfumed. There is something about the nose of the Únicos that I cannot quite describe but is quite distinct, and it's in this vintage and also in the Reserva Especial. 88,288 bottles, 3,505 magnums, 318 double magnums, 60 Imperial and 3 Salmanazar were produced. The wine was bottled in June 2017. Drink: 2021-2033. (Dec 2020)"

18.5/20 points Ferran Centelles (JancisRobinson.com): "94% Tinto Fino, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. A vintage that follows the historic 2010. It might not be considered a mythical year but, since it was a cooler vintage, 2011 is built on precision and elegance. Five years in wood (of different formats, the last two years in large vats) and four years in the bottle. This is an Único with a very subtle, polished and delicate style. It is extremely fragrant, more aromatic than textured, subtler than the magnificent 2010, but approaching it in quality. Great complexity and balance, with deep aromas of cedar, cigar box, incense. Tertiary profile and with fruit that has evolved and is fully integrated into the wine. A vintage that's all about perfume. Drinking Window: 2020-2040. (7/25/20)"