99 points Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate): "The 2016 Único was perfumed and elegant, showcasing a very good vintage in the region. Winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga started in 2015—a powerful year—and he remembers 2016 as a very balanced year, with higher yields and finer-boned wines. The winter was mild, and there was a cooler than average spring and a warm summer. September was dry, which provided healthy grapes and balanced ripening. The harvest started the 22nd of September and finished the 11th of October. The bottled wine is 96% Tinto Fino and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.82 and 4.8 grams of acidity. It has the old Vega perfume, intoxicating, complex and nuanced, full of personality and a very energetic palate, vibrant and fresh, not lacking power but with lots of elegance. The wine is released 10 years after the harvest, combining time in new and used American and French oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats, and it obviously spends plenty of time in bottle. This is a monumental vintage of Único. A total of 92,292 bottles, 3,695 magnums and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in May 2022. Drink 2027-2046 (Jan 2026)."
98 points Tim Atkin, MW: "(14.5%). 'Great vintages in Ribera del Duero are often big production years,' says owner Pablo Álvarez and the 2016 release of Único, produced in a wetter, so-called Atlantic year illustrates his point rather well. A wine that will be ready to drink before the more structured, muscular 2015, it's a classic blend of Tempranillo and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon from different parts of the 210-hectare estate. Matured in 80% new French and 40% American oak, this has violet, sweet spice and blackcurrant leaf aromas, layers of liquorice, cassis and red berries, sweet, toasty oak, fine-boned tannins and an enticing balsamic lift. 2031-40. (2025)"
98 points Zekun Shuai (JamesSuckling.com): "A beautifully poised Vega that is already approachable. Everything is in harmony, showing an almost ethereal quality in contrast to the denser 2015 vintage. There’s a hint of minerality paired with the blackberries and dark cherries. The tannins are firm yet softened. Medium to full body and a finish that lingers for a minute. Drink or hold. (7/25/25)"
98 points Tim Atkin, MW: "(14.5%). 'Great vintages in Ribera del Duero are often big production years,' says owner Pablo Álvarez and the 2016 release of Único, produced in a wetter, so-called Atlantic year illustrates his point rather well. A wine that will be ready to drink before the more structured, muscular 2015, it's a classic blend of Tempranillo and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon from different parts of the 210-hectare estate. Matured in 80% new French and 40% American oak, this has violet, sweet spice and blackcurrant leaf aromas, layers of liquorice, cassis and red berries, sweet, toasty oak, fine-boned tannins and an enticing balsamic lift. 2031-40. (2025)"
98 points Zekun Shuai (JamesSuckling.com): "A beautifully poised Vega that is already approachable. Everything is in harmony, showing an almost ethereal quality in contrast to the denser 2015 vintage. There’s a hint of minerality paired with the blackberries and dark cherries. The tannins are firm yet softened. Medium to full body and a finish that lingers for a minute. Drink or hold. (7/25/25)"
| Product SKU | 356636 |
| Producer | Vega Sicilia |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Ribera del Duero |
| Varietal | Tempranillo/Tinto Fino |
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Size | 750ml |
| Color | Red |
| Blend | 96% Tempranillo, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| ABV | 14.5% |
| Ships To |
