This is not a duel to see which wine is better. That would be unfair. We are facing two of the greatest wines in our country. Both are exceptions, but drinking them at the same time has helped me analyze the nuances of each one separately and together.
When my brother suggested to my friend Vicente and me that we share the Único Reserva Especial from Vega-Sicilia that he had received as a birthday present, it seemed like a great opportunity to drink it alongside a Castillo de Ygay, Gran Reserva Especial 2011, so we bought a bottle of the legendary Rioja.
Having the two bottles face to face is impressive. You know you are in front of two “miuras” that exude elegance, and you don’t know when you will get to enjoy them again—not even together. Let’s move on to the analysis.
The first glass I drank was the Castillo de Ygay. The wine was still closed. Sweet notes from the American oak barrel dominated the wine, along with a noticeable alcoholic edge. It needed time. I did the same with the Único Reserva Especial. The wine felt less aggressive; nevertheless, it was still too tight and also needed time to open up. We decanted both bottles and decided to give them their time. Little by little, both wines grew, becoming more approachable. The Castillo de Ygay gradually absorbed the wood and alcohol, becoming increasingly silky and elegant. The Único, for its part, also began to tame itself, integrating its acidity and becoming more and more rounded. Unfortunately, the bottles were finished almost without us realizing it, leaving us wanting to drink more and more.
Both wines were fantastic, but at the same time I felt that we were drinking them too early. Despite being a 2011 in the case of the Castillo de Ygay, and from the 2010, 2011, and 2012 vintages in the case of the Único, both were still young and showed enormous aging potential. The passage of time elevates these wines exponentially, turning them into legendary bottles. However, I must admit that drinking them “young” allows us to see their full magnitude.
A fantastic experience—necessary and worth repeating with world-class wines. At this level, there are no winners or losers, only magical moments in which the only true winners are us.