Alión comes from a careful selection of terroirs dotted across the very best areas of the Ribera del Duero DO. These soils, which complement each other, along with the same winemaking process as Vega Sicilia, have given rise to wines with a firm structure.
2017 was the 'vintage of the frost' (April 28), but this affected us less than it could have, thanks to our policy of producing 25 % more than we need, and to the double pruning carried out in the winter.
In this drier and warmer vintage, the contribution of oak was reduced, using 72 % new barrel, 18 % used barrel and 10 % concrete, with a view to working on the tannin texture, on the one hand, and the freshness and journey of the wine, on the other.
2017 was a challenging vintage, but with a glorious end result, sustaining the genuine, modern and multicultural character of Alión of somewhat warmer and firmer expression.
Alión comes from carefully selected terroirs located in the very best areas of the Ribera del Duero DO region. The soils complement each other, and allied with the same winemaking process used in Vega Sicilia, they have produced wines with a firm structure.
The 2018 vintage reflects weather influenced by the Atlantic, with higher than average precipitation, cool temperatures, and a relatively late harvest, between 28 September and 12 October.
We used our Wine Making Facility for the first time, with tanks at half the capacity, enabling greater precision during extraction. We increased the effect of new oak on this vintage by up to 80 %, with American oak representing 10 %, targeting a more generous wine.
2018 was a fresh, Atlantic-influenced vintage, giving this Alión a more vertical, longer, and elegant expression.
Alion 2019:
Alión comes from carefully selected terroirs located in the very best areas of the Ribera del Duero DO region. The soils complement each other, and allied with the same winemaking process used in Vega Sicilia, they have produced wines with a firm structure.
2019 was a drier vintage than normal, which was also noted during the grape tasting. Potent, concentrated skins, yet with a very firm structure. Work essentially started with extraction to develop a vintage for which we reduced total vatting for fermentation to around 11 days. The odd batch was refined before being barrelled and reducing the impact of the wood and the toast is important for this type of vintage. Adding concrete helped us to work on the verticality and freshness of the wines.
2019 was a potent, concentrated, juicy vintage, yet with a sensual and unctuous side too.
