Tempos Vega Sicilia Alion 2022

Tempos Vega Sicilia Alion 2022 is an exceptional, modern, and highly refined Spanish red wine produced by Bodegas Alión, part of the prestigious Tempos Vega Sicilia family in the Ribera del Duero region. Sourced from carefully managed 100% Fine Tinto (Tempranillo) vines, this warm and dry vintage was handled with gentle extraction and aged in French oak barrels alongside concrete vats to preserve purity, structure, and freshness. In the glass, it displays a deep ruby hue. The nose is precise and restrained, revealing aromas of ripe black cherry, dark plum, subtle cacao, crushed stone, and graphite. On the palate, it is rich, supple, and beautifully balanced, offering juicy dark fruit supported by polished, fine-grained tannins and a long, energetic finish.

Food Pairing: Pairs wonderfully with grilled ribeye steak, roasted rack of lamb, venison stew, braised beef short ribs, and mature hard cheeses like Manchego.

95 Points - Robert Parker's 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 wine is obviously juicier and rounder, with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.89 and 4.58 grams of acidity, but it has very good balance overall. The tannins are round, polished and slightly dustier than other vintages, and the wine has a tender mouthfeel. A total of 270,870 bottles, 7,040 magnums and some larger formats were produced. It was bottled in May 2024 and released in 2026.

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. Drink now through 2040.

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. Give it two or three more years. Drink from 2027.