Vega Sicilia, Alion 2020

*96 pts Wine Enthusiast (Sep 2024):*

Aromas of black cherry, rose petal and anisette prep the taste buds for black cherry, cassis, cocoa bean, clove and lavender flavors. Plush tannins take hold of the palate and drift into a candied orange finish.

*95 pts Wine Advocate(Jan 2024)* 

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.