Beschreibung:

Vega Sicilia Unico 1920
3 bottles per lot
Vega Sicilia In a ranking of the world's leading top quality wines Vega Sicilia would surely be listed in the top 20, and number one in Spain. This unique estate has produced benchmark wine since its first release in 1915. History Though the founding date of Bodega Vega Sicilia is 1864, it all started a little earlier in 1859 when Don Elroy Lecanda's father gave him an estate made of 2 adjacent parcels of land in Valbuena de Duero, one of them being Vega Sicilia. Before Don Elroy's arrival the estate was devoted to livestock husbandry and production of cereals. Elroy admired the great wines of Bordeaux, and bought 18,000 cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Carmenre and Pinot Noir from Beguerie & Co. Of these varietals, only Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec remain. The offspring of the original vines have adapted themselves well to the soil and climate in Ribera del Duero. By 1890 the Lecanda family was forced to sell the majority of shares to the Herrero family. During this period, the bodega was first known as Bodegas de Lecanda, only in the early 20thcentury becoming Bodega Vega Sicilia. During the last decade of the 19th-century the family decided to lease the bodega to the Palacio family for 10 years. From 1901 on, all the wine made at the estate was shipped to the other wineries of the family, probably ending up in a Rioja blend under the Palacio label. In 1905, the Palacio family hired Txomin Garramiola to look after the vinification and bring out the true potential of the estate. It was under his direction that Vega Sicilia began to develop the quality it eventually became famous for. When the lease came to an end, Txomin was hired by the Herreros to continue his job. 1915 was the first vintage bottled under the Vega Sicilia name. In a way, Txomin is the godfather of the Vega Sicilia we know today. The Vega Sicilia wines achieved great acclaim in the 1920s. In this early period of estate bottled wines, Vega Sicilia made its reputation as one of the greatest wines in the world. The bodega changed ownership again in 1952 and 1966 until it finally came in the capable hands of the Alvarez family in 1982. Up until the late 1970s most wines were sold to a selective group of wealthy private clients and some restaurants in Madrid. Therefore, old bottles of Unico are hard to find. Of the wines produced at the bodega, Unico is the wine for which Vega Sicilia is most known. A Gran Reserva only released when of the finest quality, Unico spends a minimum of 4 years in cask and 3 years in bottle, though exact times vary vintage to vintage. For instance, the 1970 was aged for 16 years in cask and only released in 1995. The magnums of 1970 were not released until 2000. The varietal blend of Unico varies little over the years and mostly about 70 Tinto Fino, 20 Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 Merlot and 5 Malbec. Unico Bianco There are only 4 released vintages of Unico bianco: 1925, 1938, 1947 and 1950. Unico Bianco was made from the Albillo varietal. Until the Alavarez family took over the bodega, a small portion of white grapes were used in the Unico blend. Now all white vines are replaced by red varieties. The history of this collection About 2 years ago, the current owner, a noted connoisseur of Vega Sicilia, was asked to buy a large collection of old Unico, including legendary bottles from the 1920s. Thinking it was too good to be true, he quickly arranged a meeting with the owners to have a better look. The collection was in the region of Madrid and belonged to a noble Spanish family. The father of the current owner was a politician with a passion for fine wine, especially Vega Sicilia. After he passed away, his wine collection was left untouched for several decades. The original wine cellar consisted of about 450 bottles, with more than half from the period 1918-1929. As can be expected in a big collection of older wines the conditions of the wines were mixed, but a good number of them were in extraordinary condit