Of the nearly 1 hectares of the Vega Sicilia estate, 000 are devoted to growing vines. 210 different types of soil and 19 plots with very specific characteristics. The influence of the course of the Douro River and the weather itself have played a key role in the noticeable use of these soils.
The rainy end of the harvest left its mark on the wine of this vintage. 2013 was a year where you had to spend time in the vineyard, take care of it with care and not rest on your laurels during the harvest. A more elegant, subtle and complex profile. The grapes are harvested from the 40 hectares used to produce Unico, a wine that ages for at least ten years between barrel and bottle, representing one of the longest aging processes in the world.
For the first phase, we used 225 liter French and American oak barrels to start structuring the wine; the second phase consisted of using wooden vats of 22 liters. A long, complex, yet wonderful wine build where they gain endless nuance, definition, texture and depth over time. This incredible terroir and unique aging process make our wines timeless as they age.
2013 is a subtle, elegant, fresh, vertical, complex, silky and well-defined vintage. This wine is a real paradox, pleasant to drink now, but timeless when left to age in the bottle.
A mild winter, with slightly higher temperatures and less rainfall than the annual average, allowed the bud burst to be brought forward by seven days. However, spring rains and relatively low temperatures resulted in flowering and veraison ten days later. veraison took place ten days later in the cycle compared to the previous year. Normal temperatures in summer, but a little dry with the few thunderstorms that caused minimal damage. September saw normal temperatures, but with lower minimum temperatures, which meant that there was a large thermal amplitude between day and night. The harvest took place from the end of September to mid-October, with abundant rainfall.
This wine can be drunk now, but it can age up to 40-60 years if stored under ideal conditions of 12-14ºC / 54-57ºF and 60% relative humidity.
The recommended drinking temperature is 18 ºC/64 ºF.
Production: 76 bottles of Bordeaux, 476 Magnums, 3 Double Magnums, 658 Imperials and 362 Salmanazars.
Alcohol by volume – 14%.
Varietal – 97% Tinto Fino and 3% Cabernet-Sauvignon
Average age of the vineyard – 33 years
Altitude – 700 – 900m