Alión, Ribera del Duero - Magnum 2019

A Magnum of one of the classics of Ribera del Duero, Alion is the sister estate of the world famous Vega Sicilia. Here the wines are made in a more modern style than Vega Sicilia, typically displaying rich, generous fruit and lashings of spice thanks to 12 months spent in 80% new, mainly, French oak barrels. It has a particular richness about it that follows on from the spicy and slightly smoky aromas. The palate is full of ripe fruit and spiciness which is held together with mellow tannins, a firm minerality and well judged acidity.

It'll mature nicely over the next few years to make a very rewarding wine.

Part of the world-famous Vega Sicilia Bodegas Alión was formed in 1986 by the Álvarez family and is run as a separate entity to its parent company. In their early years the wine was made at Vega Sicilia, but from 1993 the new purpose-built facility near Peñfiel in the Duero valley has been their home. Whereas Vega Sicilia's success is founded on a combination of traditional and modern winemaking, Alión is unashamedly state of the art in outlook and their forward looking and uncompromising approach shows a compelling alternate expression of the Tinto Fino (aka Tempranillo) grape.