Vega Sicilia Unico 2000

Dark cherry, dried orange peel, eucalyptus and a thread of tobacco, complex and alive from the first sniff. This is 93% Tinto Fino and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the vintage's extra bottle age has done its work: the oak that can overwhelm young Unico has softened into the wine rather than sitting on top of it. Generous and plush through the mid-palate, with blue fruit and blood orange carrying through to a creamy, unhurried finish. There's still a taut reserve underneath all that generosity. Approachable now, but patience through 2030 will bring the full picture.