2019 Vega Sicilia, Alion, Ribera Del Duero, Spain $154.00

2019 Vega Sicilia Alion, with a limited number of bottles produced, is a rare and highly sought-after wine that exemplifies the finest of the dark horse wine region: Ribera Del Duero. We cannot sing their praises enough, it is an exceptional region and this wine of incredible quality and aging potential make it a worthy addition to any wine collector's cellar. Alión, whose name refers to the area of León where the patriarch of the winemaking Álvarez family was born, is located just 15 kilometers from the headquarters and in a very similar location, between the River Duero and the Valladolid to Soria highway, near to Ribera's winemaking capital, Peñafiel. Alion’s vines are an average of 39 years old, 100% Tempranillo (Tinto Fino) and farmed in a biodynamic lowest-intervention-possible style, as is Vega Sicilia’s mission. Everything from Vega Sicilia is a gorgeous, age-worthy wine that every collector should aim to secure, as they are a winery of mythic proportions guiding principle is that “the best wine is still to be made.” 

Tasting: deep, garnet color, aromas of ripe, tarry plums and black cherries enticing the senses. Notes of violets, rocks, coffee, and graphite add complexity and intrigue. Refined hints of balsamic fruit and cocoa powder further enhance the aromatic profile. The palate reveals the full beauty of this wine. Full-bodied and juicy, it possesses an iron fist of tannins that provide structure and depth. However, these tannins are remarkably velvety and polished, ensuring a smooth and luxurious mouthfeel. Long lasting finish. Drink now, or wait for its peak – after 2025. 

A HISTORIC ESTATE

It was at Vega Sicilia in Ribera del Duero, two hours from Madrid, that Tempranillo proved its potential for greatness. When the estate's original founder, Don Eloy Lecanda Chaves returned from France with cuttings of Bordeaux varietals, he planted them alongside the indigenous variety Tinto Fino (Tempranillo). Surprisingly, it was the Tempranillo that produced the superior wine.

By the early twentieth century, word had spread about this remarkable wine from Northern Spain. And when 1917 and 1918 vintages famously took prizes at the 1929 World’s Fair in Barcelona, its reputation soared. The owner’s insistence on being selective of who should get his wine spurred its long run of mystery and exclusivity. Eventually, the wines were made available to the world, and Vega Sicilia became an enduring symbol of taste for upper-class Spaniards living throughout the world.

In 1982, the estate was purchased by the Alvarez family, who brought with them modern business acumen and vast resources but also great respect for Vega Sicilia’s winemaking traditions. And indeed, much of Vega Sicilia’s global reputation was forged in the 1980s and early 1990s, a time of abundance for lovers of the estate’s wines.

95 Points James Suckling June 2022

Ripe, tarry plums and black cherries with violets, rocks, coffee and graphite. Refined notes of balsamic fruit and cocoa powder, too. Full-bodied and juicy with an iron fist of tannins, yet at the same time so velvety and polished. Very long, focused finish, showing lots of finesse and layers. Drinkable now, but better after 2025. 

94 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, January 2023

The 2019 Alión was cropped from a drier vintage compared with the average, and the wines from that year tend to be powerful, concentrated and with structure. They shortened the maceration by 11 days and used concrete for part of the élevage, trying to reduce the impact from the oak in the wine. They define 2019 as a powerful, concentrated and juicy vintage, sensual and unctuous. The wine is ripe at 15% alcohol and has mellow acidity (4.4 grams) and a pH of 3.88, reflecting the warm and dry year that delivered powerful and concentrated wines, similar to the wines from 2015. It's quite fruit-driven, ripe and juicy, with abundant, slightly dusty tannins despite the limited pumping over they did to avoid extracting too much, and the maceration was also shortened. 256,526 bottles, 7,005 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in June 2021. 

92 Points Wine Spectator, July 2023

While tightly meshed and structured by firm, chalky tannins, this red has a plush, polished frame matched to a pretty range of boysenberry coulis, violet, mocha and Earl Grey flavors. Reveals hints of tar and black licorice that linger on the juicy finish. Drink now through 2029.

Source

https://www.temposvegasicilia.com/en/presentation/wineries/4/alion