Alion Ribera del Duero Tinto Fino

Such class on display here. Dark fruited, perfectly ripe and laced with high quality oak. You could suggest the oak presence is obvious but the fruit is going toe to toe. So composed, so lengthy, so good.

Smoky meat, currant great grippy tannins

Sophisticated crowd pleaser.

Alion is the younger brother of Vega Sicilia, 2012 is still a baby and needs time to show his full potential, based on Temranillo, this Ribera Del Duerro is robust and expressive with an almost black olive color, aromas of berries, red currents, plums, bails and spice, full robust body with dry tannins and lovely acidity, still very tight and the finish is long and dry. My score 89, drink 2018 to 2029, I suggest to visit again in 2022 by then some of the oak would have blended in and tannins will softened.

I believe the bottle was compromised before I bought it ( got it in 2016 appx). The wine was poor, completely out of expectations for an Alion…

Mesa bohn mar edu ren lam lito edi jr jul21

Adi Abr21

Ample aroma includes black currant and blueberry, much better than 2013 in 2019. Elegant body is same. Well balanced with fruitiness and spiciness. 1 hour, smooth with soft tanning. 2 hours, vanilla, black fruits, concentrated, much smooth. 2012 @3120, Xiaduo, 190524-200918

Every Alion RdD I've had has been 94-96 & this young 2012 @ £52 will certainly get there but drinking as a 91-92 this young - give 5 years 👍 as a little young!

🍷Purple ruby red

👃 Sweet & spicy blackberry with developing woody & smokey forest floor tones

👄 Med-Full bodied creamed silk blackberry/currant still showing drying tannin

🎯 Medium dry & sweet blackberry finish

Decanted 3 times bottle-decanter-bottle-decanter & 3 hours later still a little closed - better to drink 2020 onwards 😎

Call it Baby Unico if you like but this is amazingly good - almost comparable to its big brother for a quarter of the cost. Rich dark berries, firm yet fine tannins, tobacco, violet, baking spice, and a long mineral finish. Very food friendly - my NY Strip agreed.