Deep garnet, almost black. Nose has heavy oak overlaid on plums, black cherry, sultana raisins, smoke and caramel. Full-bodied and balanced on the palate, the black theme persists with more black cherries, black liquorice and espresso. Long finish. At its peak now; will last another couple of years. The complexity and fruitiness work well with the exotic flavours of Chinese BBQ duck and ribs.
Opaque plum-red. Complex nose of black raspberry, stewed fruits, candy apple, leather and liquorice. Medium-bodied, dominated by cassis and red berry flavours. Great value.
Many prefer little-brother Valbuena to Vega Sicilia’s flagship, Unico, which needs ages to mature. This one can be excellent after a mere decade; it needs another 3–5 years to start peaking. It already shows an amazingly complex, distinctive bouquet, fine dark fruit, a panoply of fine spices and background oak. With more time the stern tannic grip will relent enough to release the underlying generosity of this impressive wine.
Made in the New-World style. Deep plum-red. Nose of cherries, spice, a little sulphur that dissipates. Sweet blueberry and cherry fruit–forward, but saved from boredom by lots of gruff tannins and good acidity. Straightforward; not complex, but tasty.
A blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. New-World in style: dense ruby colour with a cedar and tobacco nose; full on the palate, dry, richly extracted black fruit flavours with a firm tannic finish. Still youthful for its age.
Smoky, dusty aromas, with well-integrated sweet-vanilla American oak scents. Savoury flavours buttressed by ripe strawberry and juicy plum. Long, earthy balsamic finish. Great price point, so perfectly suited for a wine-by-the-glass option at a barbecue restaurant. “Like” the new “old vines” label.
Dark garnet, almost black. Rich aromas of black cherry, vanilla, smoke and roasted meat. The concentration of cherry fruit makes this wine almost sweet. 20 months aging in new oak provides mocha flavours and a long finish. Full-bodied with 15% alcohol, but manages to be classy rather than clumsy. Will improve over a couple of years, then last a few years more.