Alión 2016

TEMPOS VEGA SICILIA

Alión
2016

Country
Spain
Regulated designation
Denominación de origen (DO)
Region
Castilla y Leon
Appellation
Ribera del Duero
Varietal(s)
Tempranillo 100 %
Alcohol percentage
15%
Colour
Red
Sugar
Dry
Producer's website
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About this winery

Vega Sicilia is a legendary estate recognized worldwide – and for good reason: this old property, dating from 1864, produces several high quality wines, including the renowned “Unico” which is subjected to an extremely long ageing process (up to 8 years before bottling), what delights the most demanding palates around the world. Founded in 1864 by Eloy Lecanda, the property bought its first vines in Bordeaux. The estate produced the first vintage of Vega Sicilia Valbuena and Vega Sicilia...

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Press reviews

James Suckling

- 96 points -

(Vintage 2016)

A very savory and succulent Alion with so much complexity of flavor with berries, chocolate and dried meat. Some cedar, too. Full body. Vertical and very long. Purity of fruit and tannins to this wine. Needs two or three years to soften. Release in 2020. Better after 2022.

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Wine Advocate

- 95 points -

Luis Gutiérrez, December 2019 (Vintage 2016)

The highly anticipated 2016 Alión spent 12 months in oak barrels, 80% of them new and built mainly with French oak but with some 5% American oak, and some 10% of the volume matured in 15,000-liter concrete vats. It hits the scale at 15% alcohol and has moderate acidity, showing ripe black fruit and a creamy texture. 2016 has to be one of the freshest and most elegant vintages of Alión, a year with depth, freshness and terrific balance. Same as they do in Pintia, they are finding ways to lower the impact of the oak in the wine; here, they used concrete, and the wine shows more primary and floral aromas and is nicely textured and with fine tannins. 258,458 bottles, 7,017 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in June 2018.

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Decanter

- 95 points -

Sarah Jane Evans, December 2019 (Vintage 2016)

There was a time (until recently) when Alión sat in Vega Sicilia's shadow. It was the neighbour, and all too obviously the junior partner, without an apparent sense of direction. With this vintage, it has made a real step forward. It starts with vivid red fruit aromatics, charming the drinker. Notes of subtle oak follow through. The palate is plump, with a developing rasp of tannin, showing notes as of very fine Florentine leather. Finally the line of acidity comes through to refresh the finish.

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Vinous

- 95 points -

Josh Raynolds, February 2020 (Vintage 2016)

Glass-staining violet. Heady smoke- and mineral-accented aromas of ripe black and blue fruits, incense and potpourri, plus hints of vanilla and cola in the background. Densely packed, alluringly sweet and focused on the palate, offering intense black currant, cherry-vanilla and candied licorice flavors and a touch of exotic spices. Sappy, smooth and seamless in texture, finishing with powerful thrust and velvety tannins that come in late to add shape and gentle grip. 95% French and 5% American oak, 80% of it new.

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