Alion Wine by Vega Sicilia 2019
6 bottles
12 in stock
Alion Wine by Vega Sicilia 2019 is a remarkable creation from the esteemed winery, Vega Sicilia, renowned for producing exceptional wines. Crafted by the talented winemaker, Gonzalo Iturriaga, this wine hails from carefully selected terroirs situated in the finest areas of the Ribera del Duero DO region. The unique combination of soils and the employment of the same winemaking process used in Vega Sicilia has resulted in a wine with a resolute structure and character.
The 2019 vintage experienced drier conditions than usual, which were evident during the grape tasting. The grapes showcased powerful, concentrated skins with an exceptionally firm structure. Winemaking began with a focus on extraction, ensuring the development of a vintage where the total vatting for fermentation was reduced to approximately 11 days. This approach enabled refinement before the wine was barrelled, thereby minimizing the impact of wood and toast, a crucial consideration for this type of vintage. The addition of concrete enhanced the wine’s verticality and bestowed a refreshing quality.
The 2019 Alion Wine emerges as a potent and concentrated vintage, exuding both a juicy allure and a sensually unctuous character. Its 15% alcohol content highlights its strength, while its average vine age of 39 years signifies the maturity of the vines. The vineyard spans 70 hectares across Padilla de Duero, Valbuena de Duero, and Pesquera de Duero, thriving at an altitude of 750 meters. The vine density of 2,222 plants per hectare demonstrates the winery’s commitment to quality and attention to detail.
This vintage’s journey began with a hand-picked harvest in 12-kilogram crates, carefully selecting the grapes from September 26 to October 10. The preceding vineyard cycle featured warmer temperatures, fostering good lignification. Spring temperatures remained normal, and despite below-average precipitation, budbreak occurred as expected without any frosts.
Critical acclaims have praised the 2019 Alion Wine. James Suckling awarded it an impressive 95 points, describing ripe, tarry plums, black cherries, violets, rocks, coffee, and graphite on the nose. Refined balsamic fruit and cocoa powder notes contribute to its complexity. The wine captivates with its full-bodied and juicy nature, supported by an iron fist of tannins that paradoxically deliver a velvety and polished texture. Its focused and lengthy finish showcases finesse and layered elegance, making it a delightful choice to enjoy now, but with even greater potential after 2025.
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate also bestowed 94 points upon this vintage. The review highlights the drier nature of the year, resulting in powerful, concentrated wines with structure. Shortened maceration and the use of concrete during élevage were employed to reduce the influence of oak. Reflecting the warm and dry climate, this wine embodies ripeness with 15% alcohol, balanced by mellow acidity and a pH of 3.88. Fruit-driven and juicy, it features slightly dusty tannins, a result of careful extraction and limited pumping over during production.
Wine Spectator awarded the 2019 Alion Wine 92 points, describing it as a tightly-meshed red with firm, chalky tannins. The wine exhibits a plush, polished edge, seamlessly integrated with flavors of boysenberry coulis, violet, mocha, and Earl Grey tea leaf. Lingering hints of tar and black licorice contribute to the juicy finish, further enhancing its appeal. This vintage is recommended for immediate enjoyment or can be cellared until 2029.
| Weight | 3.5 lbs |
|---|---|
| Size |
75 reviews for Alion Wine by Vega Sicilia 2019
Critical Acclaim
Wine Spectator
Wine Advocate
James Suckling
What does Alion Wine by Vega Sicilia 2019 taste like?
leather, earthy, mushroom
cherry, raspberry, red fruit
oak, tobacco, vanilla
apple, green apple, pear
blackberry, plum, dark fruit
pepper, licorice, cinnamon
citrus, lemon, orange
cheese, cream, toasted bread
tomato, grass, asparagus
raisin, fig, prune
tropical, pineapple, mango
violet, lavender, potpourri
Food Pairing with Alion Wine by Vega Sicilia 2019
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Winemaker of Alion Wine by Vega Sicilia 2019
Gonzalo Iturriaga
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Margaret Chait –
Last Xavier Ausás vintage lacks personality, becoming an international wine. Only hope is to let it age.
Jose Shedd –
Bold wine with oak, tannin, dark fruit and spice. Lacks grace now, but will improve with aging.
Kelly Brown –
The ’14 Alion by Vega-Sicilia is a silky, well-balanced wine with notes of ripe cherry, blackberry, and sweet florals. The finish is long and satisfying. Enjoy now or age for up to 15 years.
Cynthia Arnold –
Dense and concentrated with intense aromas of sweet red plums and ripe blackcurrants. A massive wine with a firm backbone of massive tannins. This wine is made to impress and appeal to very parkerized palates. However, despite its humongous character, the wine is surprisingly complex and impressive.
Olga Hecht –
Best Alion since 2010. Juicy and full of berries. Classic.
Paul Noel –
Full-bodied, extracted, and chewy with flavors of chocolatey oak, overripe plums, and blackcurrant jam. The grippy tannins bring firmness to the mouthfeel, but the acidity doesn’t keep the wine in balance. A modern Ribera del Duero, slightly overpriced at 69€.
Amber Clary –
Aromatic herbs, vanilla, spices, cedar and ripe black cherry. Smooth palate, dark red fruits, mineral-acid twang and sweet spicy oak with pretty florals.
Francis Santiago –
Excellent wine selection at Mövenpick Weinkeller Zollikon. The knowledgeable staff helped me find the perfect bottle for my dinner party. Highly recommend.
Brittany Lee –
Excellent 2014 vintage. Coravined at a restaurant. Save until 2023.
Elsa Carson –
2015 Alion Ribera del Duero is a well-balanced wine with hints of cherry, oak, and vanilla. It has a strong aroma with a touch of roasted coffee and green herbs. It is 100% Tempranillo and aged for 12-14 months in French oak barrels. It is recommended to wait 7-10 years for the full potential to be realized. Overall rating: 92+++
Manuel Walker –
Ripe nose, musky strawberry, spice, nutty finish. 90-91.
Dustin Magnanti –
Dark ruby with ripe red and dark fruit, coffee, chocolate, and spice notes. Smooth and well-balanced with good complexity and concentration. A bit modern for my taste, but competently made and outstanding in its category.
Pamela Carter –
This is a really special wine in my view as it is quite impressive for a wine produced in Spain (you bet I don’t hold the spanish wine in the highest regard)., This is almost Bordeauesque in it’s concentration, density and balance. Very dark and saturated, dusty perfectly ripe tannins, powerful but not intrusive oak. Dark fruits, blackberry, black cherry, licorice, some ripe raspberries, earthy graphite-like notes as well. Baking spice, cocoa, vanilla from the oak. Acidity is moderate and in check, the alcohol is high, but not to the point of being unbearable., Definitely drinkable, but not ready. Give it another 5 or 10 years and it can probably hit a 95 point mark.
Joseph Chiariello –
Great potential but too young. Wait until 2025. Nose offers dark fruits, chocolate, espresso, and vanilla. Palate overwhelmed by tannins with some fruit. No detectable acidity.
Stephen Farrington –
“Excellent! Decanting recommended to fully open. Aging potential.”
Matthew Baldwin –
Densely packed black fruit, elegantly balanced with firm structure and a long finish. Best after 2025.
Phillip Spinelli –
Review: Excellent with raw materials for a great wine but needs time to come together.
Robert Sanderson –
Intense purplish-black color with fruity and chocolatey aroma. Smooth and youthful taste with a great fruity finish. MÖVENPICK.
Charles King –
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, Vega Sicilia, Ribera del Duero, 15% ABV, Tinto Fino, 30-year-old vineyard, 130 ha surface area, 2,222 plants/ha, 750 m altitude, 3,600 kg/ha yield, hand-picked, deep ruby color, chocolate, espresso and dark fruit aroma, intense tannins, black fruits, outstanding finish. Needs 5 more years to be perfect.
Pamela George –
Bold and intoxicating with intense fruit and chewy tannins. Outstanding vintage. Bravo!
Dorothy Nava –
Deep dark red with purple hues. Ripe dark berries and plums, integrated oak and vanilla notes, fine tobacco flavors. Smooth tannins and refreshing acidity. Elegant earthy character with good intensity.
Jeffrey Moons –
Intense and bold with oak, spice, and vanilla on the nose. Dominated by tannins, requires decanting. Evolving and promising.
Allen Brown –
French oak elevates this seductive and approachable RdD wine. Vanilla and red fruit on the nose. Eye-opening experience. Bought the rest of the stock. Stunning.
Latanya Martinez –
Muscular and uncompromising structure with ripe maroon-toned flavors of black raspberries, black cherries, leather, and tobacco. Needs food to blunt the tannins, but becomes smoother the next day.
Jennifer Mclean –
Tinto Fino, 40+ year old vines, aged in 95% French and 5% American oak (80% new barrels) for 12 months. Aromas of leather, tobacco, coconut, dill, baking spice, vanilla, rose petal, cherry, pomegranate, wild berry, licorice, herbs and earth. Full-bodied, grippy tannins, bright acidity. Notes of baking spice, vanilla, toast, coconut, cherry, wild berry, pomegranate reduction, leather, earth, tobacco, and herbs. Dusty tannins. 92/93
Kelly Eldridge –
Fantastic. Nose of wood fired grilled meat, tobacco, chocolate, & red fruits. A touch of vanilla. I don’t know that I have ever experienced “wood fired” grilled meats on a nose before, but about 4 hours, this is exactly what I am getting. It is simply fantastic. I just had the little brother 2015 “Pintia” the other night, and I find that this is the wine that Pintia wants to be. Much more integrated, and with more finesse. I’ll be grabbing a few more of these to see how time will tell. Superb.
John Montes –
“Same notes as last week. Excellent QPR. Buying more.”
Ruth Watt –
91-92 on day one, 92-93 on day two. Worth opening now, but will improve with 5+ years in the cellar. Promising Alion.
Elizabeth Hardy –
Intense fruit with vanilla and toast enveloping tannins and a complex finish. Drinkable now. Fabulous.
Robert Catoe –
Structured but lacking power. Could benefit from aging.
Holley Delosh –
The wine had a casual theme but was overly sweet with too much oak, resulting in a clumsy package. Not recommended for those who don’t like dark, inky wines.
Danielle Lindsey –
Hold this high-quality wine for 5 years. It’s currently closed, but opens up after 1.5 hours and comes alive after 5 hours.
Anthony Wilson –
Excellent wine, rated 93+.
Kerry Haverstick –
Closed, full-bodied, tannic, and heavy. No change on day 2. Not comparable to the 2015 vintage for at least 5+ years.
Robert Stocking –
Alion’s 2017 vintage is a standout, with a more open and elegant taste compared to the heavier and tannic 2016. One of the best young Alion vintages to date.
Terry Snowden –
Needs decanting for an hour. Tannins dominate at first, but the fruit improves with air time. Save some for the next day. Best to hold for 5+ years.
Lee Dobson –
Pintia outshines Alion in a Familia Vega Sicilia showdown. Alion may need 3-5 more years to reach its full potential. Cheers!
Lucas Roberts –
Favorite wine ever. Beautiful bottle. Perfect notes.
Rodolfo Herring –
Barolo has a dark purple color and a black fruit scent. It has a dry taste with high tannins and a long aftertaste.
Gregory Townsend –
Great wine, smooth. Needs more time to mature.
Amy Brickell –
Powerful and concentrated, will reach 93+ in 5 years. Had 2011’s 904 at El PARAGUAS, Aarde, and Amazonico, all equally good.
Joyce Marshall –
Alion is still young with tannins and bitter notes. Cherry, tobacco, plums flavors with restrained fruitiness. Should hold for now.
Dorothy Rodgers –
Superb blackberry and plum fruit notes with classy leather and oak. 2016 not as complex as 2014 and 2015. See you in 2024 or beyond.
Arlene Duke –
Deep ruby with purple notes. Plum, cassis, chocolate, vanilla on the nose. Plum, cinnamon, cassis, and chocolate on the palate. Big, smooth, young wine that needs more time.
Joseph Martinez –
Review: Uncertain aeration time, easily turns sour, high tannins.
Shirley Cole –
Great drink, ready to go!
Jolynn Stewart –
Too young, needs at least 5 years or more before reaching its drinking window.
Leon Cosselman –
Even after two hours of airing, Trotz has a quiet nose with noticeable alcohol notes on the palate. Sweet notes develop with more air.
William Wilcox –
Velvety and dense with grapey fruit, oak, vanilla, and coffee notes. Round medium tannins. Lacks acidity and oak integration. Awkward stage in a fresher vintage.
Cory Whaley –
Alion 2016: Blackberry forward, muted nose. Chocolate layers after an hour. Potential, but not ready yet. Prefer 2014.
Gail Batton –
Alion vintage not impressive on the first day, with too much alcohol and ripeness (88-89 pts.). Improved on the second day with better balance (91(-) pts.).
Henry Richter –
Vega Sicilia at Hotel Edition: Dark color, spice, bacon, smoke, and cocoa notes. Mandarin, marzipan, blueberries, eucalyptus, chocolate, coffee, and subtle oak. Balanced tannins and freshness. A great wine.
James Allen –
Dark red-purple Alion with cherries, black olives, cassis, spice, earth, and chocolate on the nose. Full-bodied, well-balanced acidity, juicy, complex, grippy tannins, with a tannic-dry, spicy, and juicy finish. Keep. Aired for three hours.
Wendell Fay –
Needs more time. Heavy tannins and fruit promise a great future. Wait at least 5 more years.
Vera Michel –
Delicious Ribero del Duero! High concentration and long finish! 93 points.
Kenneth Jackson –
Classic Ribera del Duero with new American Oak. Pricey at steakhouse, but fantastic retail. Seek out for cellar. Fav of 14, 15 & 17, 94.
Connie Aiello –
Dark wine with hints of purple. Blackfruit, oak, and vanilla are evident. Needs more time to round its tannins, otherwise decant. Enjoyed with Pintia 2015 at a birthday celebration.
Ramon Orwig –
La Violeta’s modern style wine is rich, ripe, and well-balanced with no noticeable heat. It has a weighty feel with 15% etoh.
Gene Turpin –
Perfectly paired with JB’s tri tips.
Christopher Lavallee –
Decant for 2 hours, drink on night two. Wine opens up and softens. Good to drink now, but has potential for aging.
Betty Clark –
Young but impressive wine with notes of leather, spice, violets, earth, and red currants. Medium plus finish. Will age for over 15 years.
Williams Meszaros –
Approachable young Alion with aging potential, highly recommended.
William Stokes –
Promising but requires aeration. Rich fruit, distinct secondary notes and good aging structure.
Sandra Martinez –
Sweet and juicy with red berry, raspberry, and red cherry flavors. Hints of vanilla, milk chocolate, and roasted coffee beans. Easy-drinking and enjoyable for all.
Christopher Martin –
Intense and bold with black fruit, violets, and chocolate notes. High tannins, acidity, and alcohol. Needs more time to mature.
Michael Meeks –
Review: Muted dark fruit aromas, tight tannins, and simple taste. Needs time to improve.
Gerald Lemire –
Fruity but needs time. Classical duero flavors but slightly hot. Can improve with 4-5 years of age. Enjoyable with air.
Blanche Gilmer –
Well-rounded tannins with dark cherry, cassis, and chocolate notes. Drinkable now, but will age beautifully.
Lucy Morgan –
Wait 2-3 years.
William Kimmons –
Decant for 2 hours before enjoying with friends.
Cliff Beal –
“Opulent yet fresh wine with ripe fruit, spice, oak, and mineral notes. Highly recommended.”
Ricky Mcdermott –
Black, inky color to the rim. Muted nose with oak, graphite, and black fruit. Palate has sweet blackberry, blackcurrant, oak, and grapefruit peel lift on the finish. Good wine, needs more time to come together.
Jeri Jones –
Remarkable wine with ripe black cherry and wet earth notes, currently a bit shut down but will unveil with time.
Brandon Osborn –
Dark ripe fruit, balanced tannins, and a minty lift. Young but enjoyable, worth aging.
James Hood –
WSET 3 class review: Deep purple appearance, youthful aroma of black and red cherry, blackcurrant, rose, vanilla, cedar, toast, and coffee. Dry taste with a medium (+) flavour intensity of blackcurrant, black plum, vanilla, coffee, cedar, charred wood, and savoury. Outstanding quality with potential for aging.