Chris England

9.4

Vega Sicilia Unico 2nd wine @ £110 delivering boom bang & boom 😍 Lovely creamy rich fruit bomb 👍

📍Valbuena 5 2009

🏵 94 points

🍇 Tempranillo w/ Merlot & Cab S

🍷 Opaque deep ruby

👃 Chewy chocolate cherry & raspberry gateaux cream cake, mineral & light oak w/ light minty herbs, damson, blackcurrant & violets

👄 Med+ creamy silky body of dark cherry, raspberry jam & gooey melted choc chips w/ a touch of violet, blackcurrant & blueberry

🎯 Long choc cherry raspberry gateaux yum linger — 7 years ago

Bill Bender

9.0

The CVNE (pronounced "coonay") Tempranillo is always dependable and presents a great opportunity to obtain older vintages--back to the 60's and 70's--at a price that doesn't totally kick your ass. This was a mature solid Rioja but without a great deal of verve, depth or punch. Good not great. — 8 years ago

Mitja Sirk

Production La Subida, Aceto Sirk

9.3

Holly s****!! What a wine!! — 9 years ago

with Marta

Tony Camsjö

9.2

På El rincon de Rafa — 9 years ago

B

9.7

2001 Contador Rioja. Lunch at Reddwood. Decanted for a little while S we drank the 1998 Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz. This wine was definitely much funkier on the nose- gamey and earthy. A preferred this wine but the rest of us preferred the Henschke. Delicious but just didn't beat the Henschke for us today. — 9 years ago

Silvia's Wine

Founder, V&N Cellars - Barcelona

9.0

A spicy Rioja. Dense and delicious. — 10 years ago

Ludovic Anacleto

9.6

A beauty! Highly toned and colored, this wine look younger than 1968. Rose potpourri, violet s and dry herbs are dominant on the nose. Very long, Bordeaux like mouthfeel. A jewel. — 10 years ago

Gwendolyn Smith

9.3

Full body a bit spicy - love it! — 11 years ago

Joel Hodorek

9.3

A delicious Gran Reserva, slight cidery/oxidized notes. Solid tannin core, needs a few years to settle down. — 11 years ago

Aaron Miller

9.3

Originally gave this a 9. Then it got to breathe for s bit, and I came back and upped to 9.3. Good at first, great once it opens. — 11 years ago

Chris England

9.5

Vega n Chips 😍

Going mad after 05 & 08 we found an 02 @ €360 😱 but life is short 😁 but we did order w/ a double portion of 🍟😎

🍇 Tempranillo w/ 20% Cab S

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Dark cherry & berries in cocoa cream w/ vanilla infused balsamic

👄 Full bodied creamy cocoa dark cherry & black berry gateaux

🎯 Long black cherry gateaux creamy linger w/ earthy balsamic undertone

Superb bottle 😍🍷😍🍷😍 — 8 years ago

Paul Woolls

9.2

This is a rare treat! — 8 years ago

with Jonathan and Mike

greg

8.9

Modern deeply colored Rioja boasts ripe plums and blackberries with hints of cocoa followed by a delicious succulent full bodied palate with refreshing spicy raspberries. M&S €16. — 9 years ago

Martin G Rivard

9.4

@Mike Rowe @David A Lentine @Ron R @Kirk Alexander I lied before when I said the Sena was the only bargain bang for the buck that we enjoyed tonight. This wine is s rockstar for its price point. I call it my baby Vega! It's an awesome wine which did a great job at highlighting the strengths of every other wine that was enjoyed tonight. Believe me., it's a kickass bottle of wine but it was unfortunately overshadowed by its peers. I own 18 of these., so you know I like it! Next time., I won't open it next to 3 100 point bottles!!
Whoops., my bad! Lol — 9 years ago

with Christine and Kirk

Carlos Bañón

9.4

A w e s o m e . Simply go for it if you have the chance. — 9 years ago

with Yiping

B

10

1968 Vina Rēal Cosecha Gran Reserva Temperanillo blend. Drank this at Reddwood lunch for A&S' birthday. Hard to believe this wine was almost 50 years old. We didn't decant this and it was great- held up perfectly. Gorgeous brick color, still fruit on the nose, elegant and slightly sweet finish. So fun to try! — 10 years ago

Eryn Halstead

10

Tried this at a wine tasting with S and we both really liked it! So smooth and buttery. — 10 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.2

Medium ruby, youthful color, quite intense aromas of thyme flower, rhubarb and raspberries in liquor. Dry with a sweet tartness and strawberries and cherries. Ripe fruit. Subtle spice of ground red pepper seeds and a little smokey. Warm. With the fruit that it has it begins to resemble a Barbaresco or a Rioja. — 11 years ago

with -

B

9.2

2001 La Rioja Alta Gran Riserva. Drank at lunch w K, A&S on New Years Day after walking around. Super earthy and funky. K bought after tasting in Barcelona. A really loved it. Was interesting and great to drink. I would have preferred a bit more fruit. — 11 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

8.9

This is one of the most successful European 2003's I have had, rich but not overripe or hot, with an American oak vanillin frame for strong dark fruit. It is a little volatile on the back end but also refreshing. Very nice with lamb stew and peas! — 11 years ago

with Cleora

Chris England

9.7

Been a few years since I've had one of my favourite wines but when in 🇪🇸 I had to treat us to this €275 Vega goddess 😍 Drinking fab but will sure age gorgeously 👍

95-97 today but 98-99 in time 😎

🍇 Tempranillo w/ a dollop of 6% Cab S

🍷 Opaque blackened ruby

👃 Thick dark cherry black forest chocolate gateaux w/ infused smoked oak & liquorice

👄 Full bodied ripe black cherry bathed in rich creamy cocoa silk w/ liquorice

🎯 Long dark chocy cherry liquorice boom 💥
— 8 years ago

Chris England

9.3

Another fab 01 Rioja @ £58 in the region of 890 01 & YGAY 01 in depth of aromas & flavours but at a lower price point 😎 At its peak 🌋

🍇 85% Tempranillo & 15% Cab S

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brown edge

👃 Rich earthy ripe deep dark creamy spiced cherry buried in tinged smokey oak, leather, mocha, mushroom & liquorice

👄 Med+ silky smooth chewy creamy black cherry covered in cocoa w/ a touch of minerals, liquorice & plummy tones

🎯 Long dark creamy cherry & oaky mocha mouth coating — 8 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Cigales has been a grape growing area for centuries but in recent times production has been on the decline, and winery was bought in the late 1990’s by the El Coto group. Grapes from low yielding 100% Tempranillo vines, in excess of 70 years old. Aged for 24 months in 3-year old French oak, deep Ruby with berry fruit aromas and gentle spice. On the palate blackberry and blueberry flavors and leather and licorice notes, smooth tannins on a lingering finish ending with oak and mineral tones. — 9 years ago

José Valverde

9.6

This is a dynasty in Rioja. These are wines from the 1940's. These wines age for a long time. — 9 years ago

R J Thom

8.9

Good ditch wine discovered on our way back to a gin joint in Bilbao at s Mexican resto.., — 9 years ago

Max Bozoghlian

Owner/Wine Director Carlito's Gardel

9.4

There was a very slight taint on this one bottle, hence the not so high s score. — 10 years ago

with Mike

Geoffrey Turnbull

9.1

Somm Factory II – Evolution
Session #6 Italy VS Spain
Ac: M+
Alc: M+
B: M+
T: M+
S: Dry
Ruby
Nose: cheese, slight musty quality/earthiness. Soy/balsamic smells.
Stewed dark fruit, (cherry, field berry)
This wine has been breathing through old wood. Strikes of American wood. Dill, sappy. This is super typical Rioja. I like this a lot. — 10 years ago

Jake Perez

8.9

Could have passed as a Bordeaux it was so good, but s wonderful red from my favorite region in Spain. Lively fruit, silky tannins and 100% tempranillo from a former Vega Sicilia winemaker. — 11 years ago

David Jones

9.6

One of my favorite Spanish wines. No question. This is the best year I've had, 2001, although I've had the 04's through 09's. Thanks to Wine-Searcher for helping find a good price in the U.S. — 11 years ago

Patti Robison

Sommelier Balena

9.6

After about 30 mins...it was singing. Drinking like a 90's instead of a 30+ yr old wine. — 11 years ago

with Philippe