Recommended wines: Unico Sole, Valbuena 5° Wabuna V
 
Parker Full Score Year: 1962 (Unico Only)
 
Viga Sicilia, one of Spain's most prestigious wine estates, is located in the Ribera del Duero region, which is home to many excellent wine cellars and is often considered a strong competitor to the Rioja region, but it is first known for giving birth to Viga Sicilia.
 
Vega Sicilia became famous early, only founded in 1864, and at the beginning of the 20th century, it became popular throughout the country, becoming a symbol of the status of a member of Spanish high society. The founder of the winery had studied winemaking in Bordeaux and was deeply impressed by Bordeaux's winemaking methods, so in the early days of the winery, he imported grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec from Bordeaux and cultivated them together with the traditional Spanish variety Tempranillo grape.
 
Unico is the only genuine product of Vega Sicilia, the first Spanish wine to gain worldwide fame and to be contested for collections. Unico is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and its most striking feature is its long ageing period: it matures in different types of oak barrels for a total of 6-7 years, then bottles and then ages for another 1-4 years before being marketed. The Unico is matured for at least 10 years from vinification to launch, and the longer maturation experience is longer than any wine, making it an excellent ageing potential and an elegant style that is worth collecting.
 
Blending different vintages of Unico together is another of Vega Sicilia's red wines, the Unico Reserva Especial Special Collection, which has no vintage label and is complex and deep. Unfortunately, the supply of the Special Collection is very small, only about 100 cases are released every year, and the limited quota is sold to private buyers, and the official channels in China are temporarily closed.
 
Valbuena 5° is Viga Sicilia's entry wine, made from a very large proportion of Tempranillo and Merlot, with different proportions depending on the vintage. Valbuena 5° takes its name from its ageing phase, which is 5 years in barrel and bottle, but even for the starter wine, Valbuena 5° is aged longer and the vine age is higher than most red wines on the market.
 
On Chinese e-commerce platforms, Unico sells for around 3,500-4,000 yuan, and Valbuena 5° is much cheaper, asking for around 1,500 yuan.