Spanish Royalty

A favorite of Winston Churchill's, Spain's Vega Sicilia wine is still as coveted and collectible as it was 60 years ago

Bruce Schoenfeld
Posted: June 1, 2004

As soon as the luncheon ends, Alvarez is gone, out a side door with no warning. He is headed back to Madrid, where he lives with his family. The winemaker returns to the bodega, his guest drives off toward Valladolid. Only the memory of the wine, that elegant old gentleman, full of vigor, remains for each of them.

It wasn't a perfect wine. Leave that to the Californians, whose wines flow effortlessly through the palate but leave no footprint that they were ever there. Leave that to the classified châteaux of the Medoc, with a similar flavor profile that serves as a standard for the industry. Unico is Spanish for unique, and each Vega Sicilia Unico is decidedly that. The essence of this one, more than half a century old, lingers over the luncheon table, long after everyone has gone. v

Bruce Schoenfeld often writes about wine for Cigar Aficionado.

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