2018 Bodegas Alion, Ribera del Duero (by Vega Sicilia)

2018 Bodegas Alion, Ribera del Duero (by Vega Sicilia)

2018 Bodegas Alion, Ribera del Duero (by Vega Sicilia)

$119.95 Sale price $145.00 Price
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Shipping & Local Delivery available Pickup available at Englewood Wine Merchants

The 2018 Bodegas Alion, Ribera del Duero (by Vega Sicilia) was a Merchant's Pick

98 points • The Lafite of Spain • Rare & Limited

September 15, 2023

Here's a little fact:  Alion was formerly called Vega Sicilia Valbuena 3 (the 3 signified 3 years of aging before release).  Today, Vega Sicilia no longer makes a 3 year under the Vega Sicilia label.  The 3 year is now Alion.

You may recognize the name Vega Sicilia; it is the premier winery in Spain's Ribera del Duero with their flagship Tempranillo (Unico) selling for more than $500 per bottle. 

Tempranillos from Vega Sicilia are collectible, age-worthy, gorgeous, and simply unmatched.  

"The more accessible entry from Ribera del Duero icon Vega Sicilia, this wine has aromas of blackberry preserves, Turkish delight and clove. It fills the mouth with flavors of cherry pie, plum pudding, dark chocolate, violet talc and licorice wrapped in opulent tannins that recede into a citrus-zest and floral finish."  Wine Enthusiast

One of Vega's most prized wines is Valbuena 5 at $250 per bottle.  Where do the grapes go that don't go into Valbuena 5?

You guessed it...  

Alion's estate bottling!  That's why Alion is often called the “younger sibling” of Vega Sicilia as it is made with the same winemaking style, grace, and elegance.

The 2018 Alion is a gorgeous expression of Vega Sicilia wines, offering pure Tempranillo fruit, aromatics, and complexity.  

Enjoy now and over the next 20 years.

MP

France Has Chateau Lafite And Spain Has Vega Sicilia!

By David Gettenberg

96

“Already beautiful.”

James Suckling • 96 / 100

"Fresh and very floral with violets and berries. Blackberries and orange peel, too. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, linear tannins. Excellent length and structure. Seriously structured, Better after 2024, but already beautiful."

95+

“It's one of the finest vintages for Alión.”

Wine Advocate • 95+ / 100

""The 2018 Alión follows the path of the 2016: it is fresh and elegant and from a cooler (more Atlantic) vintage with more rain than the average and a relatively late harvest between September 28th and October 12th. They used 80% new barrels, with up to 10% made of American oak looking to (in their own words) give more sucrosity and sweetness to the wine, as it's a more vertical, tense and elegant expression of Alión. Part of the wine matured in concrete (something they started in 2016), and in 2021 they are experimenting with a 4,000-liter Rousseau foudre, as they want to keep working the texture and freshness. The wine is ripe at 15% alcohol and has a pH of 3.8 and a mellow 4.6 grams of acidity, round and soft. The wine matured until it was bottled in June 2020. The truth is that the wine comes through as subtle, elegant and balanced, with very integrated oak and a nice texture. It's one of the finest vintages for Alión."

Producer: Vega Sicilia

Country: Spain

Region: Ribera del Duero

Subregion: Others

Varietal: Tempranillo

Vintage: 2018

Size: 750ml

Code: W00786-2018-750