Vega Sicilia Alion 2021 75cl

Alión originates from carefully selected terroirs in the finest areas of the Ribera del Duero DO region. This wine is a mosaic of Ribera’s diverse personalities, made with grapes from vineyards stretching from Soria in the east to Valbuena de Duero in the west, including the renowned Vega Sicilia estate. Alión 2021 exudes youthful vibrancy. Aged for 12 months in barrel, concrete, and oak vats, followed by 18 months in bottle, the result is a harmonious and refined wine.

While it will truly begin to shine in a few years, Alión 2021 has the potential to evolve gracefully over the next 10–15 years. This vintage exemplifies balance, silkiness, and depth, making it equally compelling for immediate enjoyment or cellaring.

The Vintage

The growing cycle began with a mild autumn and early winter, and hardly any frost until December, which helped the grapevines to lignify. 2021 began with a dramatic visit from Storm Filomena, which blanketed Spain in snow, creating striking imagery and temperatures as low as -15˚C. Apart from hail in Pesquera de Duero at the end of May, the vintage developed smoothly. A cool summer slowed the vegetative cycle, leading to excellent ripening with significant day/night temperature differences and dry conditions from early September. These favourable conditions culminated in a wine of exceptional balance and character.

Vega Sicilia is a legend among Spanish wine producers, established in 1864 at the western end of what is now the Ribera del Duero DO. The flagship, Unico, is Spain’s undisputed equivalent of a first growth, while the more approachable Valbuena 5º is just as sought after. The historic estate went through several changes of ownership before being bought by the Álvarez family in 1982. Meticulously detailed viticulture feeds into a complex, multi-stage ageing process that gives these wines a vibrancy and integration quite unlike any of their Ribera del Duero peers.