Vega Sicilia Unico 2002

Dried cherry, woodsmoke, plum and a dusting of white pepper open the nose, fragrant and inviting rather than brooding. On the palate, musky red fruit mingles with floral pastille and a soft thread of mocha, all carried through a herb-tinged finish on smooth, well-integrated tannins. The fruit's sweetness does the heavy lifting, and the whole thing closes long and unhurried. This is not one of Vega's defining vintages, but 2002 well outperforms its reputation, and unlike most Unicos, it asks nothing of you in terms of patience. Open it now.