Bodegas Alion was started by the renowned estate of Vega Sicilia in 1991. Grapes are sourced from vineyards next to the winery and from Vega Sicilia’s own vineyards at Valbuena. Eighteen hectares of Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) form the actual Alion estate. The 2004 Alion is inky purple-colored with an alluring perfume of toasty oak, lavender, violets, mineral, blackberry, and blueberry compote. This is followed by a full-bodied, rich, opulent, wine with incipient complexity, and notes of licorice, mocha, and espresso emerging on the palate. The lengthy finish is pure and persistent. Give it 3-5 years in the cellar and drink it through 2025.
Proensa Guide: 98 points(01/01/2008)
Evolution: until 2015. Gastronomy: roasts (lamb, veal), red meats, small game hunting. Tinto Fino; fermentation in oak vats, 14 months in new cask. One of the greatest Alión. Great management of a very good crop. Stand out the direct aromas of ripe fruit without track of too much ripeness and a solid palate but without peaks, balanced and really joyful. Service: 18ºC.
Pairing: Beef, Game Animals, Grilled Red Meats, Roasts, Stews.
The Alión story began in 1986, when the Álvarez family decided to create a winery which, with its own vineyards, was to produce a wine with a philosophy and an identity different and independent from that of Bodegas Vega Sicilia. Thus, the possibility of making the wine in the Vega Sicilia... installations was discarded. The Álvarez did not wish to create a brand that might be considered as a second wine from the mythical name.
Bodegas Liceo, a company founded in 1990 and located in Peñafiel (Valladolid), had all the technological requirements sought by Vega Sicilia. After lengthy conversations, the Álvarez family acquired the winery on 5th November 1992. 1995 saw the appearance of the first Alión wine of the 1991 harvest, and its high quality makes it into the Top 100 of the prestigious Wine Spectator magazine.
