ETA February 2027
 
#9 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2026
Alión embodies the diversity of Ribera del Duero. This wine represents a mosaic of personalities, with vineyards from the eastern border of the appellation (Soria) to the western end (the Vega Sicilia estate in Valbuena de Duero). During the aging process, in concrete, barrels and oak vats, the different sites are blended to create a harmonious Ribera.
 
95 Points Wine Spectator 
This is alluring, with a core of warmed black cherry and plum sauce flavors laced with fragrant accents of cinnamon, violet, licorice, dried mint and bay leaf. There's a suave feel to this red, which effortlessly enmeshes a firm core of fine-grained tannins with a plush texture and fresh focus. Expands beautifully on the palate, revealing additional details of espresso, smoked paprika and mineral that linger on the finish.
 
95 Points Wine Advocate
The 2022 Alión comes from a year they considered to be a challenge; it was warm and dry and ripeness didn't follow the usual pattern: late vineyards ripened earlier and early vineyards took longer this year. Their obsession was to keep the freshness in the wine, so they did a softer vinification and employed more careful use of oak, using larger volumes and other materials like concrete to tame a powerful and solar vintage. The nose is serious and even has some austerity. The tannins are round, polished and slightly dustier than other vintages, and the wine has a tender mouthfeel.
 
95 Points Jeb Dunnuck
This 2022 is a project of Vega Sicilia in which it buys grapes, working closely with parcels across the appellation and aging in cement, separating the vineyards for fermentation and then blending together to age 12 months in barrel, cement, and foudres, with another 18 months in bottle. Full-bodied, it’s textured in grainy tannins with ripe red and black fruit, long and strong on the palate, with grip and corresponding lift, a balanced, sophisticated, and powerful wine.
 
94 Points Vinous
Aged for 12 months across barrels, concrete and foudre, with one-quarter of the wine matured in large-format vessels, the 2022 Alión is Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero. Unusually for the vintage, violet notes emerge on the nose, joined by delicate herbs, black and red fruit and hints of ripe plum. The palate is broad, with grippy tannins, a firm structure and enveloping chalky texture. Flavor intensity is notable, and it is here that the vintage becomes more apparent, lending a darker edge to the wine.
93 Points James Suckling 
A structured and chewy wine from this challenging hot, dry year. On the nose it is profound and floral at the same time, with graphite, blackberries and dark chocolate. Full-bodied and tightly wound.
Drinking Window
Early Now to 2028
Prime 2029 to 2035
Drink Before 2045