Alión 2014

2014 is a better vintage in Ribera del Duero than in Rioja, and the 2014 Alión shows it. Sourced from 130 hectares of Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) in Ribera del Duero and possibly the most modern of the Vega Sicilia Group wines, it's silky, voluptuous, jammy, ripe and generous without being too much. The grapes fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak vats, and the wine matured in new and second use French barriques for 12 to 14 months. It's quite ripe and powerful yet balanced and with great freshness. The palate is medium to full-bodied with lots of fruit, juicy and showy, modern without excess. 284,284 bottles along with 6,500 magnums and some larger formats were produced. You might want to give it some more time in bottle. It was bottled in June 2016.

From Vega Sicilia’s sister estate, using 50% own fruit and 50% from growers in villages including Pesquera and Moradillo. What a difference a vintage makes! 2013 was a cool year and Alión was not showing at its best, but one year later, with some gentle tweaks to the winemaking, the 2014 is delightfully aromatic, with fine oak, redcurrant fruit, and notes of forest floor. The palate is impressively silky, with black fruit and aniseed, while the tannins are firm and tight at present. Alión is a modern-styled Ribera del Duero youngster, and simply needs time to calm down.