Alion Tempos Vega Sicilia

Alión is a powerful yet remarkably polished expression of Ribera del Duero, created by Tempos Vega Sicilia as a distinctly modern interpretation of the region. Made entirely from Tinto Fino – the local name for Tempranillo – it brings together fruit from more than 160 parcels spread across Ribera del Duero, deliberately combining cooler, higher sites with warmer and more concentrated vineyards. The result is deep and generous, with blackberry, black cherry and dark plum joined by violet, graphite, liquorice, cocoa and aromatic Mediterranean herbs. The 2022 vintage was exceptionally warm and dry, so the winemaking team responded with gentler extraction and a more restrained approach to oak, incorporating concrete and large-format foudres to maintain freshness. On the palate it is broad, juicy and full-bodied, with beautifully polished tannins and enough acidity to keep the ripe fruit in balance. There is power here, but also refinement: a serious Ribera del Duero that feels luxurious without becoming excessively heavy or woody. Already compelling after decanting, it has the structure to continue developing for many years.

Alión, Producer

Alión belongs to Tempos Vega Sicilia, the family-owned group built around one of Spain’s most legendary wineries. The Álvarez family purchased Vega Sicilia in 1982 and, rather than simply expanding production of the historic estate, gradually created a collection of independent wineries intended to explore very different expressions of great Spanish and European terroirs. Today the group includes Vega Sicilia and Alión in Ribera del Duero, Pintia in Toro, Macán in Rioja and Oremus in Tokaj.

Alión was conceived as something deliberately different from Vega Sicilia. Where Único represents tradition, extraordinarily long ageing and a historic house style, Alión was created to show a more immediate, contemporary interpretation of Ribera del Duero through 100% Tinto Fino.

The inaugural Alión wine came from the 1991 harvest, although those first wines were made at Vega Sicilia while the independent project was being established. The dedicated Alión winery began vinifying with the 1993 harvest. From the beginning, the intention was that Alión should never simply become a “second wine” of Vega Sicilia, but an estate with a distinct personality and quality level in its own right.

Even the name reflects the Álvarez family rather than the Vega Sicilia estate: Alión refers to the area of León where the family patriarch was born. The winery itself sits only around 15 kilometres from Vega Sicilia, close to Peñafiel.

Over the years its approach has evolved considerably. Fermentation in wooden vats was introduced following successful trials at Vega Sicilia, while more recent vintages have seen an increasingly sophisticated combination of barrels, large foudres and concrete. The objective remains consistent: ripe, concentrated Ribera fruit, but with precision, freshness and exceptionally polished texture.

Alión, Terroir & Winemaking

Unlike many modern fine wines that concentrate on a single village or vineyard, Alión deliberately represents the diversity of Ribera del Duero.

The wine draws from more than 160 parcels across 13 municipalities stretching from the cooler eastern limits of the denomination towards Soria all the way west to the Vega Sicilia estate at Valbuena de Duero. This broad sourcing is fundamental to the style. Cooler, higher-altitude areas such as the Soriana zone and Moradillo contribute freshness, while warmer villages including Pesquera and Peñafiel provide ripeness, and sites around Pedrosa de Duero and Roa bring greater concentration.

Alión 2022, Vintage

The vintage itself was challenging. 2022 was exceptionally hot and dry, with several significant heatwaves. Some of the warmer, lower vineyards suffered enough water stress that the vines temporarily slowed their physiological activity. Interestingly, this reversed the normal harvest sequence: several cooler, higher vineyards continued ripening normally and were actually picked before some of the traditionally earlier sites.

The winery’s priority was therefore freshness rather than extraction.

The grapes were harvested by hand and subjected to rigorous selection. Extraction during vinification was deliberately gentler than usual, recognising that the warm season had already produced concentrated skins and ripe fruit.

Ageing lasted around 12 months using a combination of vessels rather than relying exclusively on small barrels. The wine was matured predominantly in oak, with new oak reportedly reduced to around 70% for this vintage, alongside large 4,000-litre foudres and concrete tanks. French oak was favoured more strongly than usual and the proportion of American oak was reduced in response to the warmth of the year.

Concrete and larger vessels are particularly important here. They allow the different vineyard components to develop and integrate without adding excessive toast or sweetness, helping preserve the freshness and verticality that could otherwise have been lost in such a warm vintage.

The finished wine was bottled in May 2024 and then given substantial additional bottle maturation before its 2026 release.

Alión 2022, Tasting Notes

Deep, youthful cherry-ruby in colour. The nose is initially quite serious, despite the richness of the vintage, opening gradually with blackberry, black cherry, cassis and dark plum.

Violet and peony bring a floral lift, followed by graphite, liquorice and dark chocolate. With more air, layers of cinnamon, dried mint, bay leaf, allspice and subtle smoked paprika begin to appear, together with espresso and a fine mineral quality.

The palate is full and generous, with ripe black fruit immediately giving a sense of warmth and concentration. Yet the texture is remarkably refined. The tannins are dense but rounded and finely polished, with a slightly powdery quality that provides structure without making the wine aggressive.

There is a plushness through the middle of the palate, but fresh acidity keeps everything moving. Plum, blackberry and black cherry gradually give way to cocoa, spice, herbs and graphite towards the finish.

The oak is certainly present, particularly while the wine is young, but it is already beautifully integrated into the fruit. The finish is long, savoury and increasingly mineral, leaving dark fruit, aromatic herbs and fine spice lingering after each sip.

The 2022 is undoubtedly one of the richer, more exuberant recent expressions of Alión, but careful vinification has prevented the heat of the vintage from overwhelming its balance.

Alión 2022, Awards

Food pairing suggestion: Slow-Cooked Beef Short Ribs with Smoked Paprika, Rioja Jus and Manchego Mash.

Vintages displayed are for illustration purposes only