2004 Bodegas Alión, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Alion is now entering superstar territory; 2004 in Spain is being re-appraised in an up-ward direction. It should, therefore, not come as a syllogistic surprise that Alion 2004 is an exceptional wine. The benevolent conditions of 2004 were characterised by Spring rainfall and a very lengthy and warm ripening season up to the late September harvest; the wine is appropriately dark of hue, with a nose of aniseed, spice, sousbois and blackcurrant. 

On the palate, the tannins are fine but powerful; the fruit is dark, velvety and rich. The edifice is powerful and young but finely wrought in its architectural complexity. The key things that have struck me in the 2004 are how complimentary the wine is to its Vega siblings and how much more polished it is stylistically than in previous vintages. Created in 1991 to be Vega Sicilia's modern, more Francophile face, Alion ages its wines entirely in new oak barriques ( 225 ltrs) sourced in Nevers but crafted in the internal cooperage. 

Located 11 km from Vega, in the village of Palidda de Duero, the winery sits in a carefully managed natural environment, its tapestry of forests and scrubland manicured to ensure the integrity of the microclimate.

Berry Bros. & Rudd