# Alión (2021)

- **Producer:** Bodegas y Viñedos Alión / Tempos Vega Sicilia
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Tempranillo
- **Region:** Castilla y León, Spain
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €135
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, blackcurrant, blackberry, rose, black pepper, vanilla, cedar, chocolate, smoke, leather, tobacco, forest floor

## About this wine

Established in 1986 by the legendary Álvarez family of Vega Sicilia, Bodegas y Viñedos Alión was created to offer a modern, avant-garde expression of Ribera del Duero. While its sister estate, Vega Sicilia, is famous for its highly traditional, long-aged wines, Alión represents a sleek, contemporary, and fruit-forward approach. Located in Peñafiel, the estate operates its own state-of-the-art gravity-fed winery. Rather than relying on a single vineyard, Alión is crafted as a 'mosaic of personalities,' blending grapes from carefully selected plots across 13 different villages in the appellation. This vintage represents a highly balanced and elegant growing season, benefiting from a cool summer that allowed for slow, pristine ripening.

## Interesting facts

- Alión is named after the town of Alión in León, the birthplace of the Alvarez family patriarch, despite being located in Ribera del Duero.
- The winery enforces a strict single-use policy for its French oak barrels, selling them off after just one vintage of aging Alión.
- Rather than a single estate, Alión is a 'mosaic' blend of grapes sourced from up to 13 different villages across Ribera del Duero.

## Food pairing

The robust structure, high tannins, and vibrant acidity of this Tempranillo demand rich, protein-heavy dishes. The proteins and fats in red meat and game bind with the wine's firm tannins, softening them on the palate, while the wine's natural acidity cuts through the richness of the food. Savory, earthy elements in the dishes complement the subtle oak and tertiary notes of the wine.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for Alión is defined by precision and minimal intervention. Grapes are hand-harvested in small 12-kg boxes and cooled for 24 hours to preserve freshness. After destemming, the fruit undergoes a five-day cold soak in a combination of oak and stainless steel vats. Fermentation is carried out using native yeasts ('pied de cuve') under strict temperature control. The wine is then aged for 12 months in a combination of 80% new French oak Bordeaux barrels and 20% concrete and large oak casks to manage wood integration. Following barrel aging, the wine undergoes an additional 18 months of bottle maturation before release, ensuring a polished and harmonious structure.