2012 Alion

100% Tinto Fino. 12-14 months in new French oak with additional bottle ageing prior to release. Inky blackish crimson. Deeply scented with vanilla-laced black fruit, and a dark smoky complexity and a small wild-berry fragrance. Even a touch herbal though fully ripe. Firm and dry texture, chalky freshness, chewy finish. But the tannins are not thick as they were on the Pintia. There’s a savoury black-olive finesse. Refined even in youth and dark, long finish. (JH)

2012 has to be one of the best recent vintages of Alión. This 2012 Alión is pure Tempranillo from vineyards averaging 25 to 30 years of age, harvested at the end of September and matured for 14 months in new French oak barrels. The nose is much more elegant than the Pintia from Toro (I tasted them together), still very fresh and primary but with a special brightness of fruit, shiny cherries, raspberries, something effervescent, open and somehow exuberant. The palate is quite round, much more polished, with some notes of dark chocolate, some subtle volatility, elegant, fresh and long. It has the balance and stuffing to develop nicely in bottle. Superb balance, Ribera character, clean, modern classic. 280,000 bottles were produced.

Tinto Fino. Grapes sourced from Valbuena and Peñafiel villages. Hand harvested in 12 kg boxes. Sorting table. Fermented in oak foudres and aged for 20 months in New French oak barrels. Very ripe vintage for Alión, oak dominates and shows toasty, creamy and dairy notes with dark fruit underneath. Superb texture, fine-grained tannin and chewy fruit character. The tannin still need time to mellow but the wine is already very enjoyable. Alión represents a must taste wine in the region. (FC)