ALIÓN 2020

2020 was drier than average until the harvest, when it rained and diluted the grapes, and they had to wait to regain concentration. The result is that the 2020 Alión is a wine with better balance and freshness. They felt the skins were very ripe and they could extract more and use a little more American oak (4%) in the élevage. From 2019, they kept the press wine separate until June, and they keep separate quantities of press wines that are aged in different containers depending on the quality of the wine. They used a percentage of concrete and oak vats for the élevage, which gives the wine more verticality and freshness. It's a subtle and elegant Alión, not as dense as some other vintages, but with nice balance and very elegant tannins. In 2020, they produced 285,485 bottles of this wine, 7,115 magnums and some larger formats. It was bottled in May 2022.

Produced from a total of 35 different lots located mostly in Padilla de Duero, Pesquera de Duero and Valbuena de Duero, this is an engagingly perfumed Alión that benefited from a cooler, wetter spell in the middle of September. Spicy vanilla, coconut and dark chocolate oak flavours frame a palate that is youthful and dark fruited, with the structure and freshness to age well in bottle. 2025-32

There’s a finesse and polish to this red with blackberries, black olives, iron and terra-cotta. Medium to full body, with slightly chewy tannins and a savory finish. It will soften nicely with time. Try after 2025.