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Bodega Vega-SiciliaRibera del Duero

€475.40
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Vintage
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TECH SHEET

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Vintage
Country
SpainSpain
Region
Ribera del Duero
Type
Red
Producer
Bodega Vega-Sicilia
Winemaker
Mariano Garcia
Grapes
Tinto Fino (Tempranillo)96%Cabernet Sauvignon4%
Alcohol
14% vol.
Bottle
750 ml

Wine profile

Red

Body
Tannin
Acidity
Alcohol14% vol
Sweetness

Tap or hover a scale

Wine profile · Red

Body

Level 5 of 5 — Full and dense – like double cream

Above typical (3.8) · Typical: average of 711 reds at Vinogrande

What it is

Body is the weight and texture of the wine in your mouth. It comes mainly from alcohol, extract (everything dissolved apart from water), glycerol and, in sweet wines, sugar.

Where you feel it

Across the whole tongue: how much the wine fills your mouth. Think skimmed milk, whole milk and cream.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the typical profile of the grapes (Wine Folly / WSET), as we have no specific data. Estimate

There is no single number for body. Labs measure dry extract (many wines are between 18 and 30 g/L) and alcohol, which WSET says has the biggest effect on body. Our scale rates the weight in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Light: fluid and delicate
  2. 2Medium−: light-ish
  3. 3Medium: rounded
  4. 4Medium+: broad
  5. 5Full: dense and rich This wine

In practice, for this wine

For intense dishes: oven roasts, game, stews, strong cheese. A large glass helps it open.

Wine profile · Red

Tannin

Level 5 of 5 — Robust and grainy – dries the mouth and wants food

Above typical (3.2) · Typical: average of 708 reds at Vinogrande

What it is

Tannins come from grape skins, seeds and oak. They give red wines structure and ageing potential, and soften with time.

Where you feel it

On your gums, inside your cheeks and on your teeth: that rough, drying feel, like after strong black tea.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the typical profile of the grapes (Wine Folly / WSET), as we have no specific data. Estimate

Labs measure total polyphenols (the TPI index), but that figure is rarely published. Our scale rates the amount and texture of the tannins in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: silky
  2. 2Medium−: soft
  3. 3Medium: present
  4. 4Medium+: firm
  5. 5High: robust This wine

In practice, for this wine

Wants meat, game or aged cheese. Decant and give it time in the glass, or keep it a few more years.

Wine profile · Red

Acidity

Level 4 of 5 — Lively and mouth-watering – like grapefruit

In line with typical (3.6) · Typical: average of 702 reds at Vinogrande

What it is

Acidity is the wine's freshness: it gives energy, makes your mouth water and helps the wine age. Too little and it tastes flat; too much and it feels sharp.

Where you feel it

On the sides of your tongue, and in how much your mouth waters after you swallow. The more you salivate, the higher the acidity.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the typical profile of the grapes (Wine Folly / WSET), as we have no specific data. Estimate

Labs measure total acidity (grams of tartaric acid per litre; most wines sit between 4.5 and 8 g/L) and pH (usually 3.0 to 3.8; the lower, the more acidic). Our scale turns that into how it feels in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: soft, little freshness
  2. 2Medium−: gentle
  3. 3Medium: fresh and balanced
  4. 4Medium+: lively, mouth-watering This wine
  5. 5High: crisp, racy

In practice, for this wine

Cuts through fat and salt: oily fish, fried food, goat's cheese, lemony dishes. Serve well chilled.

Wine profile · Red

Alcohol 14% vol

Level 4 of 5 — Generous – warms the throat

In line with typical (4.2) · Typical: average of 716 reds at Vinogrande

What it is

Alcohol is made when yeast ferments the grape's sugar. It brings warmth, adds to the body and carries the aromas.

Where you feel it

As warmth in your throat and chest when you swallow, and a slight burn on the nose when it is high.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the alcohol stated on the label — On the label: 14% vol.

It is the one axis that is always measured: it comes from the % vol on the label. Still and sparkling wines: under 11% = 1, up to 12.4% = 2, up to 13.4% = 3, up to 14.4% = 4, 14.5% or more = 5. Fortified wines (Port, Madeira…) have their own scale: under 16.5% = 2, up to 18.4% = 3, up to 19.9% = 4, 20% or more = 5.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: under 11% vol
  2. 2Medium−: 11–12.4% vol
  3. 3Medium: 12.5–13.4% vol
  4. 4Medium+: 13.5–14.4% vol This wine
  5. 5High: 14.5% vol or more

In practice, for this wine

Avoid very spicy food, which boosts the heat. Serve slightly below room temperature.

Wine profile · Red

Sweetness

Level 1 of 5 — Dry – no sugar you can taste, just fruit

In line with typical (1.0) · Typical: average of 720 reds at Vinogrande

What it is

Sweetness comes from the grape's natural sugar that did not turn into alcohol (residual sugar). A dry wine has almost none; a Port or a late-harvest wine has a lot.

Where you feel it

On the tip of your tongue, right from the first sip, and as a richer, oilier feel in the mouth. Acidity can mask it.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the sweetness category recorded on the product sheet (dry, off-dry…).

It is measured in grams of residual sugar per litre. General EU bands: dry up to about 4 g/L, off-dry up to 12, medium-sweet up to 45, sweet above that. On our scale: under 4 g/L = 1, up to 12 = 2, up to 45 = 3, up to 100 = 4, more = 5.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Dry: no noticeable sugar This wine
  2. 2Off-dry: a touch of sweetness
  3. 3Medium-sweet: clearly sweet
  4. 4Sweet: rich and fruity
  5. 5Very sweet: luscious

In practice, for this wine

Goes with the whole meal, from savoury to mildly spicy. Avoid sweet desserts: they make it taste bitter.

Critics & awards

Serve & enjoy

Temperature 16–18 °CIf the room is above 20 °C, 15 min in the fridge
GlassBordeaux glass
Open ahead 15 min · No decanting

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Description

Vega Sicilia Único 2016 is one of Spain's most prestigious wines, released in January 2026 after the traditional 10 years of ageing at the winery. This vintage is described as "monumental", with greater elegance and freshness than the denser 2014 and 2015 vintages.

The Wine AdvocateRP 99Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

The 2016 Único was perfumed and elegant, showing an excellent vintage in the region. Winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga started in 2015, a powerful year, and remembers 2016 as a very balanced year, with higher yields and finer, more delicate wines. The winter was mild, spring cooler than average and summer hot. September was dry, giving healthy grapes and balanced ripening. Harvest began on 22 September and ended on 11 October.

The bottled wine is 96% Tinto Fino and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.82 and 4.8 grams of acidity. It has the classic, heady “Vega” perfume, complex and full of nuance, with plenty of personality and a very energetic, vibrant and fresh palate, not lacking power but with great elegance. The wine is released 10 years after the harvest, combining ageing in new and used American and French oak barrels and 20,000-litre oak vats, with plenty of time in bottle too. A monumental vintage of Único. 92,292 bottles, 3,695 magnums and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in May 2022.

At Vega Sicilia they've increased capacity in larger oak vessels, using them for the first year of ageing, and experimented with non-Saccharomyces yeasts. In 2024 and 2025 they also introduced a new bottling line and new materials such as glass. They've classified their 180 hectares of vineyards into 55 different plots and 19 soil types. Production varies between 240,000 and 325,000 bottles, depending on the vintage. The three wines released in 2026 had a very “Vega” profile, with that distinctive aromatic palette that sets them apart from other Ribera del Duero wines.

Published: 15 January 2026

The Wine AdvocateRP 98Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

The 2014 Único was made from grapes from 40 hectares of vineyards selected from the winery's 210 hectares. The grapes were picked between 20 September and 3 October, and the blend was 94% Tinto Fino and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, with malolactic in stainless steel. The first phase of ageing was in 225-litre barrels and the second in 20,000-litre oak vats, with total ageing of 10 years between wood and bottle.

It's a year that combines power and elegance; it's concentrated, but subtle. I had the unique chance to taste it from a magnum a year ago and was truly impressed. This tasting confirmed those impressions. 2014 was a good vintage in the region, with good rainfall and a large crop; not as powerful as 2012 or 2015, but a year of great finesse.

The wine is very balanced, with lower alcohol and well-integrated oak, crisp, fresh and still young. It has a quite classic profile: elegant and finely structured, but also powerful, closer to the Únicos of old. It must be one of the best vintages in recent times.

It has 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.85 and five grams of acidity (as tartaric) per litre. It was one of the largest Único productions: 104,606 bottles, 3,612 magnums, 356 double magnums, 50 imperials and five Salmanazars. It was bottled in June 2020. It seems years ending in four (1994, 2004, 2014, but not 1984, which wasn't made) are very good here. We'll have to wait and see what happens with 2024.

As I do every year, I tasted the whole Vega Sicilia group portfolio and published the notes for all the wines released in 2024 at the start of the year. Later I tasted the rest of the Douro region's wines and thought I should include Vega Sicilia again in this article, for context and completeness.

Published: 13 June 2024

What to serve with this wine

Dishes calculated from this wine’s profile, grapes and region.