Alión 2015

Produced with 100% Tinto Fino or Tempranillo grapes in a modern and fruit-forward style with generous oak, the 2015 Alión is juicy and intense, cropped from a warm and dry year that delivered a 15% alcohol red that is voluptuous and hedonistic. It matured for 12 to 14 months in oak barrels, mostly French and mostly new. At first I found it quite ripe, with black rather than red fruit, a little earthy and with a touch of licorice and ink. The palate reveals abundant, slightly dusty tannins without the quality they had in 2014; it's a little dry on the finish, a riper and more powerful vintage of Alión. The nose improved tremendously with time in the glass as it opened up, but the tannins remained quite present. It might need a little more time in bottle to polish those edges. 230,730 bottles and some larger formats where produced. It was bottled in June 2017.

Very impressive red plums and the Alion has a very approachable feel to it, supple and even. The nose delivers some savory, slightly tarry and earthy character with a classic, direct and easy-to-understand feel. Some dried flowers, too. The palate has medium body and delivers fleshy, round red cherries, gently savory, spicy elements and fine, long and detailed tannins. A great Alion, full of flavor, very fresh. Drink across the next 15 years.

Alión is made by the same team as Vega Sicilia, but has its own vineyards. Aged in French wood, it’s a more modern wine than its stable mate, with bright, aromatic fruit, a hint of sandalwood and a long, chalky finish. 2020-28

Alión was intended to be the more ‘modern’ wine from Ribera del Duero, and it takes younger grapes from Vega Sicilia, as well as some fruit from key villages. The wine has a dark, smoky profile with a dense palate laden with black fruit and liquorice. It’s tight and intense, with a brooding, savoury character. The tannins are still firm, and the wine will benefit from more time in the bottle to settle down.