Critics Ratings

‘Just like what clearly happened in Rioja, where there are plenty of wines to taste, it seems that in Ribera del Duero 1981 was also a better vintage than 1982, despite 1982 being famous because it saw the birth of the appellation. It's what I felt when tasting the 1981 Único in magnum next to the 1982; the 1981 is superb, one of the finest vintages and certainly the highlight from the 1980s, together with 1986. The wine shows youth, Ribera to the core and the essence of Vega Sicilia, a great, classical Vega, a legend in the making. Or is it already a legend? It was produced with Tinto Fino and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon plus 15% Merlot and Malbec with 13.5% alcohol. This was released in March 1998.’ - Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate, 98/100 (Jan 2023)

‘Complete, ripe but still so incredibly fresh and vibrant.’ - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 19/20 (Sep 2022)

‘This beautiful red from Spain would put many a Bordeaux from the same vintage to shame. It's got a deep, youthful color, alluring spice and cherry pie aromas and a supple yet concentrated palate with cherry, spice and tobacco flavors. The tannins are softening, yet will still match with food, and the finish is long and spicy. Drink now through 2005.’ - Thomas Matthews, Wine Spectator, 93/100 (May 1998)

Provenance

The Coats Family Cellar is arguably the most prestigious fine wine collection ever offered in South Africa. It contains a deep collection of the worlds finest, most sought-after wines, spanning over 150 years. Collected over many decades, the cellar was imported from Ireland to South Africa via reefer. Each bottle within the Coats Family Cellar was authenticated by Michael Egan in August 2022 and given an ID number for tracking.

Michael Egan is a world-expert in fine and rare wines with more than thirty five years of experience. He was the principal expert for the plaintiff in the two major wine counterfeiting trials in Koch v. Eric Greenberg and United States v. Rudy Kurniawan, both of which occurred in 2013.

Along with Michael Egan, the Strauss & Co Fine Wine team have tasted extensively through the cellar and are confident of the wine storage and hence quality. The entire collection is currently stored at Wine Cellar.