Vega Sicilia’s Único Reserva Especial 2023 Release is a non-vintage blend built from three Único harvests—2009, 2011, and 2012—made in what the winery frames as a “tribute to tradition,” aiming for continuity of house style rather than a single-vintage statement. The blend is 94% Tinto Fino with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, bottled in June 2019, and released at 14% alcohol. Production is limited: Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate reports 18,318 bottles and 233 magnums.

Critically, this is an excellent release, with two major publications awarding 97 points. Luis Gutiérrez (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate) calls it “classical and proportioned,” noting that although it draws on “three warm, ripe and powerful vintages,” the final wine “is not excessively powerful.” He attributes that restraint to extended aging, saying “the longer élevage has polished that power,” and highlights a “velvety palate with very fine tannins and great elegance.” He also provides technical details: pH 3.85 and 5.2 grams of acidity (tartaric) per liter, and describes it as “a slightly lighter version of Reserva Especial.”

Wine Spectator likewise scores it 97 and emphasizes both ripeness and control: “ripe and appealing on the nose,” with date and dark chocolate, plus “bitter cherry reduction, mandarin orange peel, dried mint and mineral flavors.” Structurally, it’s “seamless and silky,” finishing “long and expansive,” and the magazine suggests drinking “now through 2036.”

James Suckling delivers the top score here—an outstanding 99 points—praising an “extremely nuanced and complex nose” with “high-grade cigar box,” blackberry, orange peel, and “red-chili chocolate,” and describing “immaculate tannins” and “an extremely long, savory finish that lasts over a minute.” Despite its pedigree, he notes it is “already approachable now,” with further upside “after 2024.”