Vega Sicilia Unico 2004

Twenty years on, Unico 2004 is dark, dense, and very much alive, the color alone tells you this wine has no interest in retiring. Roughly 85% Tempranillo with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, it spent seven years working through a rotation of new oak, seasoned barrels, and large vats before release. The nose is opulent: ripe cherry, dark plum, pipe tobacco, old leather, and dried violets, with an earthy mineral current threading through the whole thing. Fruit and structure lock together on the palate, cherry compote, cassis, sweet spice, and that signature chewing tobacco depth that is unmistakably Unico. Tannins are polished and patient, the finish long, focused, and gripping without a trace of aggression. Still gathering momentum. Drink now through 2035, or give it more time.