Spain wines in the Flickinger Fine Wines inventory http://www.flickingerwines.com/wineregions/spanish.asp WA 96 (4/2004): Garcia’s 2000 PS (100% Tempranillo from 60-70 year vineyards, and aged in French oak) is spectacular. Unfortunately, production is small, with 40% of it (400 cases) making it to the United States. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as a beautiful perfume of smoke, graphite, black and blueberries, minerals, and flowers. This is a young, full-bodied yet remarkably elegant, pure, impeccably well-balanced Spanish red with a finish that lasts for 50+ seconds. While accessible, it should not hit its peak for another 2-3 years, and will last for 12-15. VM 93 (8/2003): (from 60-year-old tempranillo vines; P.S. stands for pagos seleccionados) Saturated dark ruby to the rim. Superripe aromas show a slightly porty quality: kirsch, black raspberry, clove and cough medicine. Then hugely sweet and rich, with firm acidity and solid mineral backbone giving vibrancy and definition to the black raspberry and espresso flavors. I picked up an intriguing suggestion of very old Calvados. Very long and firm on the aftertaste. Mariano Garcia, formerly winemaker at Vega Sicilia and the owner of Bodegas Mauro, is heavily involved in this new venture. WS 93 (11/2004): This lush red is rich with blueberry and blackberry flavors, backed by vanilla oak. Mouthwatering and luscious. The tannins are ripe, not aggressive, and there's enough acidity to keep it lively. Drink now through 2010. 350 cases imported.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasAalto.aspWA 96 (4/2004): Garcia’s 2000 PS (100% Tempranillo from 60-70 year vineyards, and aged in French oak) is spectacular. Unfortunately, production is small, with 40% of it (400 cases) making it to the United States. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as a beautiful perfume of smoke, graphite, black and blueberries, minerals, and flowers. This is a young, full-bodied yet remarkably elegant, pure, impeccably well-balanced Spanish red with a finish that lasts for 50+ seconds. While accessible, it should not hit its peak for another 2-3 years, and will last for 12-15. VM 93 (8/2003): (from 60-year-old tempranillo vines; P.S. stands for pagos seleccionados) Saturated dark ruby to the rim. Superripe aromas show a slightly porty quality: kirsch, black raspberry, clove and cough medicine. Then hugely sweet and rich, with firm acidity and solid mineral backbone giving vibrancy and definition to the black raspberry and espresso flavors. I picked up an intriguing suggestion of very old Calvados. Very long and firm on the aftertaste. Mariano Garcia, formerly winemaker at Vega Sicilia and the owner of Bodegas Mauro, is heavily involved in this new venture. WS 93 (11/2004): This lush red is rich with blueberry and blackberry flavors, backed by vanilla oak. Mouthwatering and luscious. The tannins are ripe, not aggressive, and there's enough acidity to keep it lively. Drink now through 2010. 350 cases imported.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasAalto.aspWA 93-96 (10/1998): The 1996 Pago Negralada was to be bottled approximately a month after I tasted it. Made from a single Tempranillo vineyard, planted more than 2100 feet above sea level, the alluvial and clay soil mixture gives the wine a distinctive character. This is unquestionably a spectacular effort, displaying a saturated purple color, and a knock-out blackberry, chocolate, licorice, and earthy-scented nose. Exquisitely balanced, this full-bodied wine is crammed with fruit, yet it does not come across as heavy or overbearing. This wine has benefited from having its malolactic take place in barrel (which tends to integrate the wood into the wine earlier, and, some say, more effectively than when it is done in tank). The layers of fruit are ripe, the wine's purity impeccable, and the overall balance impressive. This stunningly rich, potentially brilliant wine will admirably showcase the heights that Tempranillo can achieve. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2018.IWC 93+ (12/1999): Saturated deep ruby. Complex, primal aromas of wild berries (boysenberry, blackberry), aromatic herbs and tar. Powerful and unevolved in the mouth, with a strong acid structure currently giving the wine a toughness and restraining its sweetness. This is truly tempranillo with buns of steel. Finishes with powerful tannins, resounding and extremely persistent dark berry flavors, and a strong flavor of caramel oak. An extraordinary sample of tempranillo, but in need of considerable bottle aging. May ultimately merit another point or three. WS 88 (11/1999): This nicely sculpted, stylish red has well-integrated new oak and ripe flavors of plum, chocolate and mineral. The tannins are firm but unobtrusive, and the finish is clean and lingering. Drink now through 2005. 150 cases made.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/AbadiaRetuerta.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/AcusticCellars.aspWA 95 (10/2015): 2012 has to be one of the best recent vintages of Alión. This 2012 Alión is pure Tempranillo from vineyards averaging 25 to 30 years of age, harvested at the end of September and matured for 14 months in new French oak barrels. The nose is much more elegant than the Pintia from Toro (I tasted them together), still very fresh and primary but with a special brightness of fruit, shiny cherries, raspberries, something effervescent, open and somehow exuberant. The palate is quite round, much more polished, with some notes of dark chocolate, some subtle volatility, elegant, fresh and long. It has the balance and stuffing to develop nicely in bottle. Superb balance, Ribera character, clean, modern classic. 280,000 bottles were produced.WS 90 (9/2016): Cherry, raspberry and kirsch flavors show a ripe character in this bright red, backed by citrusy acidity and light, firm tannins. Well-balanced, fresh and lively. Drink now through 2018. 570 cases imported.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/Alion.aspVM 93 (9/2004): (from a single vineyard planted in 1945) Good deep ruby. Inky aromas of cassis and bitter chocolate, with a suggestion of baked fruits. Thick, dense and hugely concentrated, with a saline quality. As creamy, unctuous and superripe as this is, it's also lively and sharply delineated. A massive, seamless Rioja that finishes with huge, ripe, touthcoating tannins. Definitely not your father's Rioja. Stephen Tanzer.WS 92 (10/2004): A powerhouse. It has an inky color, roasted aromas of espresso and tobacco, and intense flavors of bitter chocolate, plum, prune and mineral supported by muscular tannins. Not typical, but has an intense character. Best from 2005 through 2012. 125 cases imported.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/FincaAllende.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasIsmaelArroyo.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/Artadi.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/Artadi.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasLosBermejos.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/CellerdeCantonella.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/CavaChozasCarrascal.aspVM 93 (9/2012): (mostly tempranillo, with graciano and mazuelo, aged for 24 months in French and American oak): Bright-rimmed ruby-red. Heady red and dark berry aromas are complicated by notes of mocha, Indian spices and vanillin oak, with a potent floral quality. Stains the palate with sweet cherry and mulberry flavors, picking up anise, cola and vanilla bean accents that build with air. Supple, sweet and expansive on the finish, which leaves smoke and cherry pastry notes behind. WA 92+ (6/2010): The 2004 Imperial Gran Reserva is 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, and 5% Mazuelo aged in new French and American oak for 24 months. Deep crimson-colored, it gives up aromas of toast, spice box, espresso, blackberry, and plum. Medium to full-bodied, on the palate it displays a plush texture, ripe flavors, excellent volume and concentration, and a relatively forward personality. It will be approachable in 2-3 years and will offer prime drinking from 2013 to 2024.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/CVNE.aspWA 95 (6/2005): The most prodigious wine in this portfolio is the 2001 Gran Elias Mora. Fashioned from 50-year old Tinto de Toro (Tempranillo) vines, and bottled unfiltered, this magnificent, dense purple-colored effort boasts a sweet perfume of roasted meats, scorched earth, blackberry liqueur, and cassis. It is a dense, full-bodied, fleshy effort revealing beautifully integrated wood, acidity, and tannin. Flamboyant yet well-delineated, it will be a treat to drink over the next decade.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/VinasDosVictorias.aspWA 95 (6/2005): The most prodigious wine in this portfolio is the 2001 Gran Elias Mora. Fashioned from 50-year old Tinto de Toro (Tempranillo) vines, and bottled unfiltered, this magnificent, dense purple-colored effort boasts a sweet perfume of roasted meats, scorched earth, blackberry liqueur, and cassis. It is a dense, full-bodied, fleshy effort revealing beautifully integrated wood, acidity, and tannin. Flamboyant yet well-delineated, it will be a treat to drink over the next decade.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/VinasDosVictorias.aspWA 97 (10/2016): There is a little more Syrah in the blend of the 2014 Clos Erasmus, where it reached around 30% to complement the majority of Garnacha. As is the norm, the wine matured for some 18 months before bottling, with most of the volume in French oak barrels, 40% of which are renewed each vintage, but there are also one or two amphorae. I tasted it next to the 2013 and as the 2013 required so much attention, it took some time to get to the 2014. It showed a bit shy at first, but when I finally came back to it, I found that it had really blossomed with a mixture of violets, ground, smoky meat and black raspberries. The slight increase in Syrah was noticeable, but it somehow also seemed to increase the voice of the slate in the bottle. The palate is medium to full-bodied with terrible balance and elegance combined with inner strength. This is simply terrific. 3,000 bottles were filled at the end of May 2016.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/ClosErasmus.aspWA 90 (4/2010): The 2006 Tossals Junior is 33% Garnacha, 33% Carinena, and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. It offers up an enticing nose of slate/mineral, lavender, and confiture of black fruits. Rich, full-bodied, and flavorful, it will evolve for 2-3 years and will be at its best from 2012 to 2021.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegaCarmenGrifoliDeclara.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasLan.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasLan.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasLan.aspWA 96 (6/2005): The blockbuster 2001 Cinco Reserva is a sumptuous, full-bodied wine of great intensity as well as seamlessness. This inky/purple-colored offering exhibits a wonderful nose of smoked meats, blackberry liqueur, raspberries, charcoal, and pain grille. Powerful, elegant, pure flavors build incrementally in the mouth, and the finish is huge yet refreshing. Drink this superb Toro over the next 7-8 years.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/CastillaLeon.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/LiquidGeorgraphy.aspWA 88 (8/2014): The 2012 Vina Almate Garnacha is produced with grapes from Penafiel and other zones in the Ribera del Duero from vineyards averaging 900 meters altitude. The whole-clusters fermented in stainless steel and the wine aged for one year in used French barrels. It has a very ripe nose with notes of prunes and figs and some organic and earthy aromas developing into clear notes of cherries in liqueur. It is dense, ripe, hedonistic and lush with similar flavors to the aromas found in the nose and some dusty, grainy tannins, with a Mediterranean profile. I look forward to tasting this wine from the Atlantic 2013 vintage. 1,000 bottles produced. Drink now-2016.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasyVinedosMaestroTejero.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/VinaMagana.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasMauro.aspVM 91 (10/2008): (100% tempranillo) Bright ruby-red. Redcurrant and cherry aromas are complicated by black pepper and zesty minerals. Juicy and focused, with fresh red berry flavors and an exotic candied floral quality. Becomes sweeter and creamier on the broad, long finish. This is already attractive and complex enough to drink but is built to reward cellaring.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegaAbelMendoza.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasMuga.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasMuga.aspVM 94 (9/2014): (60% garnacha and 40% carinena; aged for 18 months in French oak, one-third of it new): Dark ruby. Exotically perfumed bouquet evokes red berry liqueur, incense, apricot and smoky Indian spices. Ripe and expansive on the palate, offering sweet black raspberry and floral pastille flavors and a jolt of peppery spices. Closes on a sexy lavender note, with supple tannins providing shape and melding smoothly with the wine's lush fruit.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/NitdeNin.aspWA 93 (2/2003): The project of importer Jorge Ordonez, the 2000 Numanthia (100% Tinta de Toro from 70-100-year old vines) was produced from meager yields of one ton of fruit per acre. It spent 19 months in new French oak, with malolactic in barrel, and neither fining nor filtration. This is a massive, dense ruby/purple-colored effort that needs 3-4 years to strut its stuff. Thick, juicy, and concentrated, it displays notes of creme de cassis, melted licorice, spice box, and earth. It is an impressive, pure, layered wine to drink between 2006-2017.VM 93 (8/2003): from 70-to-100-year-old vines) Saturated bright medium ruby. Cassis and mineral aromas along with pungent new French oak scents of espresso and bitter chocolate. Sweet, thick and superconcentrated, with an impressively chewy, layered texture; very sappy but still a bit youthfully clenched. Still hugely tannic, even a bit aggressive, on the end, but here the oak seems to be in harmony with the wine's powerful fruit, suggesting that all this wine needs is time in bottle. WS 93 (5/2003): Powerful. Coffee, blackberry and licorice aromas explode from the glass. On the palate, the wine is concentrated yet lively, with lavish oak, rich tannins and ripe, concentrated fruit. A bombshell, yet balanced and clean. Best after 2004. 350 cases imported.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/Numanthia.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/Oligitum.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasOlivares.aspWA 94 (8/2014): Vintages are therefore selling a little faster now and I tasted the 2011 Pintia, which is produced with the local strain of Tempranillo called Tinta de Toro from, head-pruned, mostly ungrafted, old vineyards (40 to 60 years of age) that were harvested quite early and quickly (50 tons of grapes per day!), September 13-18, to preserve the freshness in a very warm, ripe vintage. The wine matured for one year in mostly French oak barrels and is dark and ripe, but surprisingly fresh for a very warm vintage. The early harvesting has paid back and has provided for a wine that shows the character of the place, with that slight rusticity – especially if compared with Alion – true to its birthplace and the vintage, with notes of tree bark and damsons, spicy oak and a faint reductive character when uncorked. It would benefit from decanting in advance, and notes of beef blood emerge with time in the glass. The palate is medium to full-bodied with juicy tannins and a supple texture that fills your mouth, ending with a pleasant bitter note. This is a generous, big, ripe wine getting civilized and more elegant by the year, still a little marked by toasted oak, but developing different notes with time, becoming very meaty and showy. 190,000 bottles produced. Drink 2015-2019. WS 91 (9/2016): Espresso and bitter chocolate notes frame flavors of plum preserves, dried fig and anise in this dense red. Muscular tannins and balsamic acidity reinforce the sturdy structure. Powerful and austere, but deep. Drink now through 2024. 570 cases imported.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BodegasVinedosPintia.aspVM 92 (9/2010): (100% carignan) Opaque ruby. Kaleidoscopic bouquet of black raspberry, cherry-cola, violet and licorice, with an overlay of sexy oak spices. Juicy, pliant red and dark berry flavors stain the palate, with bright minerality providing spine. The spice and licorice notes echo through a very long, sweet finish. Pretty alluring now but this really deserves at least a decade of patience. Josh Raynolds.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/CimsdePorrera.aspVM 92 (9/2010): (100% carignan) Opaque ruby. Kaleidoscopic bouquet of black raspberry, cherry-cola, violet and licorice, with an overlay of sexy oak spices. Juicy, pliant red and dark berry flavors stain the palate, with bright minerality providing spine. The spice and licorice notes echo through a very long, sweet finish. Pretty alluring now but this really deserves at least a decade of patience. Josh Raynolds.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/CimsdePorrera.aspWA 94 (8/2012): The 1998 Gran Reserva 890 is more or less the same blend and vinification as the 1995 with just a little more alcohol (13%). It has impressive intensity on the nose with lifted dark cherry and briary notes. It has very fine delineation with aromas of licorice and orange rind. The palate is very well-balanced with fine tannins, crisp acidity and lively fresh citrus fresh fruit: small red cherries intermingling with orange zest, marmalade and cassis. It will need several years before it reaches its drinking plateau, but patently has great potential. Drink 2015-2025+ Finally, I was poured two mature vintages from their scant reserves.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/LaRiojaAlta.aspWA 91 (8/2012): The 2009 La Vina de Andres Romeo is a pure Tempranillo cropped at 1kg per vine from the “La Liende” vineyard. It is aged for 17 months in 300-liter and 500-liter new French oak. The nose is very intense, with ripe, ebullient blueberry and cassis fruit, interlaced with kirsch and blood orange. The palate is full-bodied with ripe, sturdy tannins and a very controlled yet powerful finish of blackberry, bilberry, cedar and dark plum. This is a wine you experience rather than drink, and needs at least three years cellaring. Drink 2015-2028.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/BenjaminRomeo.aspVM 89 (9/2004): (based on 100-year-old garnacha and carinena, with some cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot) Deep red. Smoky, nutty oak currently dominates on the nose. Then dense but juicy, with superripe flavors of dried fruits, blackberry, and minerals. Like a drier-styled port: slightly pruney but with a dry, nutty edge. Finishes with slightly dry but fine tannins and good length. I'd like to have seen a bit more sweetness. Stephen Tanzer. WA 93-95 (4/2004): Tasted just before it was bottled, there will be 4,800 bottles of the 2001 Amadis (a blend of 45% Grenache and 20% Carignan from 90-100 year old vines, and the rest younger vine Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot). A sensational bouquet of blackberry liqueur, acacia flowers, crushed stones, and sweet oak emerges from a wine of great purity, layers of flavor, an opulent texture, and a sweet finish. This beauty should drink well young yet age effortlessly for 10-15 years.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/RotllanTorra.aspWA 96-98 (4/2004): A prodigious effort, the 2001 Tirant is a 9,000-bottle cuvee made from 30% Grenache (90-100 years old), 25% Carignan (90-100 years old), 25% young vine Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, and 10% Merlot. Fermented in large oak foudres and aged 12 months in new French oak, it will be bottled with neither fining nor filtration. Inky/purple-colored to the rim, it boasts a spectacular bouquet of blueberries, blackberries, and the region’s classic crushed stone minerality. This full-throttle yet remarkably elegant 2001 possesses tremendous intensity and texture as well as layers of flavor, but comes across as not over the top, overripe, or overly heavy. The 60-second finish reveals more noticeable tannin than the other cuvees. Give it 1-2 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 10-15. The 2001 Tirant is indeed a special wine.VM 91+ (10/2004): (a similar blend of century-old garnacha and carinena and newer plantings of syrah, merlot and cabernet sauvignon) Deep red. Exotic coconutty oak on the rather port-like nose. At once sweeter and more primary than the Amadis, with a penetrating minerality. Also quite oaky, but has more jammy plum and blackberry fruit to stand up to the wood. Still, it's hard to predict whether this slightly pruney wine will reward more time in bottle. Finishes with sweet tannins and good length.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/RotllanTorra.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/PazodeSenorans.aspWA 94 (6/2015): The 2012 Dits del Terra is pure Cariñena from a single plot of very old south-facing vines on llicorella slate soils. The full clusters were macerated and fermented in tank with natural yeasts before the wine matured for two years in a third-use, 3,500-liter Austrian oak foudre from the iconic Stockinger cooper. There is a slight creaminess with some smoky, toasted notes that would normally go unnoticed and are only perceived when compared directly with its siblings. It's very showy, ripe, juicy and exuberant with tantalizing aromas that are all about blue fruit and violets and dotted with hints of malted cereals (with the smoky twist of an Islay malt). 5,000 bottles produced. WS 93 (9/2015): This juicy red shows lively flavors of black cherry, cola, licorice and wild herb, with an unobtrusive yet solid structure of well-integrated tannins and orange peel acidity. Alluring floral and mineral notes linger on the finish. Drink now through 2027. 37 cases imported. VM 92 (9/2014): (100% carinena; made entirely with whole clusters and aged for two years in 1,800-liter foudres): Opaque ruby. Potent blackberry liqueur, cherry-cola and licorice pastille aromas are brightened by candied lavender, white pepper and smoky minerality. Ripe and weighty but comes off as surprisingly lithe, offering intense black and blue fruit flavors and a touch of spicecake. Closes smooth and very long, with supple tannins adding grip. These vines are reportedly more than 80 years old. JS 91 (7/2015): A fresh and minerally red with blackberry, blueberry and rose petal aromas. Full body, firm tannins. Pure cariñena aged in large Austrian foudre. Clean finish. Drink now.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/TerroiralLimit.aspWA 98 (6/2015): At this point in time the single-vineyard and top-of-the-range Cariñena, the 2012 Les Tosses, feels very reductive and needs lots of air. It has an incredible pH of 2.98, and in the dry 2012 season these 90-year-old vines on black slate at 650 meters altitude behaved magnificently. The wine matured for two years in oak foudre from Austria. The nose takes forever to take off so you have to guide yourself by the prodigious palate where the balance is gobsmacking (literally!) and full of an earthy, rustic and mineral character that has hints of liquid graphite and tree bark. It really shows the essence of Priorat. The 2013, still not bottled, is tremendous as it is much more open, very indigenous and something to look for next year. If 2011 was a triumph over the vintage conditions, this 2012 had the growing season working for it and the results are even better. This year Tosses and Manyes are at the same quality level. On day two the wine is completely open and expressive showing no sign of fatigue or reduction whatsoever. To the contrary, it shows fresh and much better. This should develop tremendously in bottle. 1,500 bottles were produced in 2012. VM 95 (9/2014): (100% carinena, aged for two years in 500-liter French oak casks): Brilliant ruby. Drop-dead gorgeous, exotically perfumed aromas of candied red fruits, potpourri, Asian spices and sandalwood, with a bright mineral overtone and a touch of smokiness. Sweet, palate-staining raspberry liqueur and rose pastille flavors gain depth and power with air and show superb clarity. Smooth, spicy and relentless on the finish, which is framed by pliant, fully integrated tannins. A remarkable expression of the variety and one of the most complex wines that I've tasted this year, from anywhere. WS 93 (7/2015): This racy red, offering wild berry, mountain herb, earth and mineral flavors, is bold but still light on its feet, with light, firm tannins and tart acidity. A distinctive style, floral and alluring. Drink now through 2022. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 17 cases imported. JS 90 (7/2015): Complex aromas of blackberry, dried flower and stone. Full body, good clean fruit and a fresh finish. Straightforward. Drink now.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/TerroiralLimit.aspVM 96 (10/2009): Ruby-red. Shockingly deep in color for a ten-year-old wine. Explosive aromas of cherry compote, black raspberry, blood orange, Asian spices and smoky minerals. Pure, vibrant and sweet, offering intense cherry and red berry flavors, with tangy mineral spine and an exotic smokiness. Extremely deep but energetic, with a powerful echo of minerals and singed orange on the endless finish. This is remarkably youthful but highly alluring already. Josh Raynolds.WS 94 (11/2009): Elegant and expressive, this supple, traditional red shows cherry, floral, vanilla and mineral notes that are both harmonious and intense. Not a blockbuster, but remains fresh and alluring through the spicy finish. Drink now through 2014. 8,500 cases made. WA 92 (8/2012): The 1999 Unico is a blend of 90% Tinto Fino and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 21-months in large wooden vats, twenty months in new barrel, seventeen months in semi-new barrels and then 24 months in large wooden casks. The harvest was interrupted by downpours and did not finish until November 16. It has a very intense, austere bouquet with blackberry, cedar, granite and a touch of dried orange peel. It is tightly coiled but unfurls beautifully in the glass, though it retains its rather aloof personality. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded mulberry and raspberry leaf-infused entry, with bay leaf and graphite underneath. It is linear, focused and precise. It is very harmonious, almost Claret like with great length on the finish that offers a sorbet-like freshness. 96,159 bottles produced. Drink 2016-2030+.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/VegaSicilia.aspVM 95 (10/2010): Deep red. High-pitched aromas of redcurrant, dried cherry, potpourri and spicecake. Silky in texture and alluringly spherical, offering seamless red fruit and floral pastille flavors and late notes of blood orange and Asian spices. Nothing heavy or fat here and yet this delivers the impact of a large-scaled wine. The finish is expansive and extremely persistent, leaving notes of rose and sweet red fruits behind. I find this to be drinking extremely well now but have no doubt that it will live a long life on its balance.WA 93 (8/2012): The millennial Unico was tasted twice in January and June 2012. It has a Bordeaux- inspired bouquet that demonstrates more austerity than the 2004 with herbaceous notes infusing the brambly black fruit: smoke, forest floor, wild mint and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with bright blackberry, strawberry and Morello on the entry. It is extremely well balanced and more feminine than the nose suggests. There is also impressive tension and vivacity towards the finish. There is great backbone here, a solid and obdurate Unico at the moment, but it will surely mellow in bottle. 108,536 bottles produced. Drink 2018-2030+. WS 92 (4/2011): Firm and elegant, this red is lean but dense, with dried cherry, tobacco, vanilla, licorice and leaf flavors, complex and harmonious in the traditional style. This is not showy, but has depth and length. Drink now through 2015. 10,000 cases made.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/VegaSicilia.aspVM 95 (9/2013): Inky ruby. Highly aromatic scents of ripe cherry and dark berries, singed plum, cured tobacco and succulent herbs, with a vanilla undertone. Sweet, expansive and powerful, offering intense black and blue fruit flavors with smoke and floral accents. Rich and full but surprisingly lively, with excellent finishing thrust and sweet, harmonious tannins adding grip. Shows the ripeness of the vintage to good effect; this is a somewhat approachable and exotic Unico, especially with some air, but it has the concentration to age slowly. Josh Raynolds.WA 94 (6/2013): Vega Sicilia’s 2003 Unico, mainly Tempranillo with a balancing 8% of Cabernet Sauvignon, was aged in wood for nearly seven years before being bottled, starting with 15 months in large oak vats, followed by 25 months in new barriques, before being transferred to used ones for another 17 months and ending its elevage with a further 22 months in those large wood vats again. As I uncork the bottle, the aroma reminds me of a classical Tempranillo, with some dill notes from the American oak and a minty hint from the Cabernet. It actually makes me think of traditional Rioja, believe it or not. The wine doesn’t show the heat of the vintage, and manages to transmit a general sensation of balance and finesse that is quite remarkable for the characteristics of the year. The aim here was to avoid the confited and raisiny notes of the fruit and the spirity character so common in that vintage. It starts off slightly lactic, with notes of cafe au lait, coconut and cola. With a bit of time, it turns more flowery and shows more red fruit. It is very aromatic, with plenty dry herbs, thyme and rosemary, even pine nuts, a bit of resin and some cured meat, and overall has a very complex nose. The mouth is a little more transparent toward the heat of the vintage, it is powerful and full-bodied, but manages to keep freshness. The minty note is there, with some hints of chalk that make it very tasty. It feels briary and opulent. A success over the vintage conditions, it already shows some signs of complexity, which points at an approachable Unico. Even though it can be drunk now, it will get more polished and integrated with a few years in bottle. 76,050 bottles and 2,616 magnums were filled (on the low-ish side for Unico), but the magnums will be sold later; they are currently offering 2000 in magnum and 1999 in double-magnum. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023. WS 94 (9/2013): This red is generous and expressive, delivering dried cherry, tobacco, mineral and spice flavors in a rich, round texture, with a good balance of well-integrated tannins and racy acidity. More harmonious than assertive, but shows plenty of depth. Drink now through 2023.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/VegaSicilia.aspWA 98 (6/2005): The prodigious 2001 Nebro is a limited production, 100% Tempranillo cuvee. Dense purple to the rim, with an extraordinary smoky nose interwoven with hints of lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, blackberries, and scorched earth, it is a heady, ripe, full-bodied offering with superb concentration, balance, and well-integrated acidity, wood, tannin, and alcohol. This is an extraordinary effort from a mythical vintage in Spain. Consume it over the next 10-15 years. VM 95+ (9/2015): (the three barrels from the estate's oldest vines) Good deep ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of blackberry, cassis, licorice and graphite; showed almost Brunello-like dried fruits, chestnut and lavender with extended aeration. Penetrating and powerful, with perfectly integrated acidity intensifying the wine's extremely rich flavors and accentuating the impression of energy in the mouth. As sweet as this is today, it's also primary and utterly fresh, with perfectly judged oakiness. Expands and builds impressively on the back end. This was better every time I went back to it. If you can find and afford this wine, I'd give it at least four or five years in the cellar. (I retasted the 2001 Reserva and found my latest sample creamier and rounder than a bottle I tasted a year ago, with complex aromas and flavors of crystallized blackberry, licorice, bitter chocolate and fresh herbs. While hugely ripe, the wine carries no excess sweetness and boasts a steely structure and excellent grip. My latest bottle merited 92 points.) . Stephen Tanzer.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/FincaVillacreces.aspWA 98 (6/2005): The prodigious 2001 Nebro is a limited production, 100% Tempranillo cuvee. Dense purple to the rim, with an extraordinary smoky nose interwoven with hints of lead pencil shavings, creme de cassis, blackberries, and scorched earth, it is a heady, ripe, full-bodied offering with superb concentration, balance, and well-integrated acidity, wood, tannin, and alcohol. This is an extraordinary effort from a mythical vintage in Spain. Consume it over the next 10-15 years. VM 95+ (9/2015): (the three barrels from the estate's oldest vines) Good deep ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of blackberry, cassis, licorice and graphite; showed almost Brunello-like dried fruits, chestnut and lavender with extended aeration. Penetrating and powerful, with perfectly integrated acidity intensifying the wine's extremely rich flavors and accentuating the impression of energy in the mouth. As sweet as this is today, it's also primary and utterly fresh, with perfectly judged oakiness. Expands and builds impressively on the back end. This was better every time I went back to it. If you can find and afford this wine, I'd give it at least four or five years in the cellar. (I retasted the 2001 Reserva and found my latest sample creamier and rounder than a bottle I tasted a year ago, with complex aromas and flavors of crystallized blackberry, licorice, bitter chocolate and fresh herbs. While hugely ripe, the wine carries no excess sweetness and boasts a steely structure and excellent grip. My latest bottle merited 92 points.) . Stephen Tanzer.http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/FincaVillacreces.asphttp://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/VinedosAlonsodelYerro.asp