Alion 2020

Name: Vega Sicilia Alion 2020
Brand: Vega Sicilia
SKU: 30085732
Price: 458.42 GBP
Availability: InStock

Vega Sicilia

2020

Wines Anteprima Red Fine Wine

Founded in 1864 by Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves who planted the first Bordeaux grapes on the land, Vega Sicilia is Spain’s most prestigious wine estate. Since 1982, the winery has been in the hands of the Alvarez family who played a major role in building Ribera del Duero’s reputation. They own 210ha of vines, some of which are over hundred years old, which thrives on a unique terroir. Their meticulous care in both vineyards and cellar gave birth to Unico, their flagship, which is known as Spain's “first growth”.

Sourced from a careful selection of plots across the appellation, and keeping with the vine management criteria that emanate from Vega Sicilia, Alion represents Ribera del Duero’s authentic expression of Tempranillo. Fermented in wooden tanks and aged between 12 and 14 months in new French oak barrels, the wine spend an additional 15 months in bottle before release. The result is an intense, complex and fleshy wine, where the elegance is a distinguishing feature and hallmark of the winery.

2020 was a drier vintage than normal, the grapes were very healthy but heavy rains in September diluted the fruit so it was necessary to wait for the grapes to re-concentrate before harvesting. The resulting wines were more vertical, balanced and fresh. The proportion of American oak used was increased 4% this vintage. Concrete was used in a proportion of this vintage to improve the verticality and freshness of the wines.

Ratings

95 Points Robert Parker

The obsession in 2019 was to avoid excess ripeness and to keep the freshness, so they did a softer vinification, used larger vats for the élevage and used less American wood. The 2019 Valbuena was produced with a blend of Tinto Fino with 3% Merlot. It has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.88 and 4.6 grams of acidity. I love the nose; it is perfumed and subtle. And the wine is beautifully textured; the tannins are very fine, silky even, quite different from the tannins from the other 2019s from the group that I tasted next to this, Macán and Pintia. A triumph over the conditions of the year, it's a more elegant Valbuena than I anticipated. 190,490 bottles, 5,581 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in June 2022.

94 Points James Suckling

There’s a finesse and polish to this red with blackberries, black olives, iron and terra-cotta. Medium to full body, with slightly chewy tannins and a savory finish. It will soften nicely with time. Try after 2025.

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Spain

Grape vines have been grown on the Iberian Peninsula since at least 3000 B.C., although it was not until 1000 B.C. that winemaking began here in earnest – a skill brought by Phoenician traders from the eastern Mediterranean. Today, Spain is home to more vines than any other country on Earth, and has a national wine output exceeded only by France and Italy.

All seventeen of Spain's administrative regions (communidades autónomas) produce wine to some extent, including the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands. The greatest concentration of vineyards is in Castilla-La Mancha, but the finest and most famous wines come from Galicia (Rias Baixas), Catalonia (Cava and Priorat), Andalucia (Sherry), Castilla y Leon (Rueda, Toro and Ribera del Duero) and of course Rioja.

Geography and climate together play a fundamental role in defining Spain's many wine styles. From cool, green Galicia and the snow-capped Pyrenees in the north, via the parched central plateau, to sandy, sunny Andalucia in the south, the Spanish landscape is very diverse. The country spans seven degrees of latitude (36°N to 43°N), leaving 500 miles (800km) between its Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.

The key red-wine varieties, in order of acreage, are Tempranillo, Bobal, Garnacha and Monastrell. The leading white-wine varieties are Airen, Viura/Macabeo and Palomino and Albarino. 'International' varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are becoming more and more popular in Spain, and their plantings are rising in various Spanish regions. Along with the most popular varieties, there are regional specialties, such as Hondarrabi Zuri in the Basque Country, Marmajuelo in the Canary Islands and Zalema in Andalucia.

Ribera Del Duero

Ribera del Duero lies within Castilla y León in North Central Spain. Within its borders lie 4 distinct municipalities, including Burgos, Soria, Segovia and Valladolid. This wine-region is located on the elevated northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula at 800 meters (2800ft) above sea level. Ribera del Duero means "bank of the Duero", and the river indeed divides the region. It also provides the local vineyards with a much-needed water supply. The river also provides neighboring Portugal with it's premier wine region as it changes its name to Douro and flows through the eponymous valley, the home of Port and Portugal's best red table wines.

The terroir here is relatively diverse, more diverse than that of Rioja. Soil types include both chalk and clay, along with intermittent layers of silt and limestone. All of which aid in producing very fine and soft mineral flavors detectable in most wines from Ribera.

Ribera del Duero was not awarded DO status until 1982. This is despite a long history of winemaking, centered on the leading local producer, Bodegas Vega Sicilia. Today, Ribera del Duero is almost entirely devoted to red wine. Tempranillo is the most widely planted grape variety, known locally either as Tinto Fino or Tinta del Pais. It produces wines which are deeply colored, with a firm tannin structure and complex aromas of dark fruit. Most of the top examples age gracefully for years.

According to DO regulations, Tempranillo must make up a minimum of 75 percent of all vinos tintos (red wines). The balance is usually made up mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. These are all varieties that were introduced by Vega Sicilia more than a century ago. Up to five percent of Albillo or Garnacha is also permitted. Garnacha is used for most rosé wines. Albillo is the only white grape with vines planted in Ribera del Duero. It produces wines for local consumption that don't qualify for the Ribera del Duero DO title. It can also be used in tiny quantities as a softener for heavy reds.

The aging requirements used for Ribera del Duero match those of the Rioja denomination. Crianza red wines must be matured for at least two years, with 12 months in oak. Reserva wines are aged for at least three years, with one in oak. Gran Reserva wines must be aged for five years before release. two of which must be spent in oak.