Alion 2021 is a red wine from Ribera del Duero, produced exclusively from the Tinto Fino grape variety, which is a local variety cultivated on 130 hectares of vineyards at an elevation of approximately 750 meters, spanning 13 villages.
In 2021, the vineyards at January and Storm Filomena were blanketed in snow, with temperatures dropping to -15 °C, and cool conditions persisted throughout the subsequent growing season, there was no rainfall from September onward. The yield was 3,300 kg per hectare, or 23.1 hl/ha. The harvest was conducted by hand from the 24th of September to the 11th of October, and the grapes were packed into 12-kg boxes.
The grapes were cooled for 24 hours and destemmed, followed by a 5-day cold maceration in oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. Fermentation with local yeast was then initiated using the pied de cuve method. The wine was subsequently aged for 12 months. Aging took place primarily in barrels (75% new French barrels, 8% American barrels, and 7% second-year barrels), with 7% aged in concrete tanks and 3% in 4,000-liter wooden foudres.
This wine will be at its best between 2025 and 2040. Allowing it to breathe in a decanter for about an hour will further enhance its qualities.
Robert Parker (96)
The vintage released in 2025 is the 2021 Alión, a year to remember, one of the best in recent times; it was relaxed and textbook in all senses, with snow in the beginning of the year, a mild spring disturbed only by frost in Pesquera that didn't affect other villages, a relatively cool summer that slowed things down, and the grapes ripened to perfection without rain after September. They used grapes from 13 different villages throughout the Ribera del Duero, 130 hectares. The grapes are cooled down for 24 hours, and once destemmed, they are put in the oak and stainless steel vats, where they undergo a five-day cold soak and then native fermentation through a "pied de cuve." It has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.81 and 4.8 grams of acidity (tartaric). It's very fresh and fruit-driven, with the balance and elegance of the cooler years, a little austere, with very elegant and polished tannins and a different quality, when the grapes ripen slowly. They believe 2024 has the potential to be like 2021, after the 2022 and 2023 vintages were a lot more challenging. This is a large production of 244,244 bottles, 7,075 magnums and some larger formats. It was bottled in June 2023.
James Suckling (95)
A pretty deep but fresh and harmonious wine that can be consumed early. It’s from a blend of Ribera del Duero vineyards. Fascinating aromas of fine spices, dark chocolate, dark cherries, blackberries and cedar wood. Medium- to full-bodied with fine, chalky tannins and a lasting finish. Impeccable balance. A textbook Ribera del Duero that gives a panoramic view of the region.
Jancis Robinson (18)
100% Tinto Fino. Vineyards averaging around 40 years old spread across different municipalities in the DO. Moradillo provides acidity and tension; Roa, concentration and tannin texture; while Pesquera and Nava complement with concentration and character. Alión is an interpretation from different harvest times. A very good vintage, although this year will be remembered for being the year of Storm Filomena. It reached extreme temperatures of -15 °C in January, but it was fantastic in terms of the wine. Aged for 12 months using 7% concrete, 3% wooden foudres of 4,000-litres and, for the rest, barrels, 8% of which were American oak, 75% new French oak, and 7% second-year barrels or ‘envinadas’. Subsequently, the wine was aged in bottle for 18 months. Production: 244,244 bottles, 7,075 magnums, 600 double magnums, 80 Imperials and 5 Salmanazars.
Very fine Alión, with less oak than usual and a profile of depth and subtlety. On the palate, sapidity, a touch of salinity, and fully integrated and smooth tannins. I love the way the oak is integrated, with much more subtlety than previous Alións. Fluidity, chalky texture, and lots of finesse on the palate. A touch of violet on the back palate and still very primary. One of the best Alións I can remember. (FC)
