2016 Vega Sicilia “Alion”, Ribera del Duero, Spain

ABOUT THIS WINE

Ground-breaking and independent, and the result of the evolution of a famous family of great wines. Recognised, distinguished and praised for the authenticity of its temperament, Alin today symbolises a universal and forwardlooking spirit.

Wine produced using the Tinto Fino variety. The grapes are harvest by hand in 12-kg boxes and are taken immediately to the winery to the sorting tables. Fermentation takes place in wooden tanks under controlled temperatures until a good polyphenolic structure is obtained which will provide the generous colour and firm structure that makes up part of the personality of this wine. The ageing is around 12-14 months, depending on the characteristics of the vintage, and is performed in full in new French oak Bordeaux barrels. These barrels, from the leading Bordeaux firms, are a significant investment in oak as, harvest after harvest, all the wine that is produced in Alin is aged in new barrels.

Once the wine is removed from the barrels, it will remain no less than 15 months in the stillness of the bottle, where it will end up assembling all the primary aromas of the fruit with the hues from its delicate ageing, resulting in an intense, complex and fleshy wine, but where the elegance is a distinguishing feature and hallmark of the winery

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

There are people who believe that the myth of Vega Sicilia was due to its being an aristocratic wine, in scarce supply, and only within the means of a fortunate few; an object of desire that only a privileged minority could enjoy. However, what many do not know, is that the real origin of the legend lies in a story of hope, commitment and patience on the banks of the River Duero, as it runs through the heart of Castilla, where the river laps against and nourishes a unique and exceptional, nearly magical estate.

This wise, hard, gnarled and barren land was destined to something great. It had to join forces with time to fulfil its great dream: to give the best of itself, achieve extraordinary crops that would fill it with pride and show off the splendour of nature. Yet, to do so, land and time needed man’s help. Someone to be their eyes and hands and farm in line with nature’s rhythms. As only in that way, when we are humble enough to accept nature’s way, do we achieve exceptional results.

Centuries passed waiting for someone to listen to the call of this magical land. And very few people have the gift to see further, to listen to what others hear, and to feel what others do not feel. Until one day, fate brought along a man who listened to its call, a man who followed his intuition and change the traditional crop of cereals for the best vine stocks of the 19th century. A man who knew how to learn from nature, patiently respected its rhythms, looked after the land and protected time, thus achieving a perfect balance.

Autumn was the time of the grape harvest and the land could, after all, begin to dream, for which it was pre-destined; the grapes proved to be of an unrivalled quality and personality and, after maturing in the silence and solitude of the winery, became one of the greatest legends of the history of wine – Vega Sicilia was finally born.