My joint-WOTN (along with my Torbreck The Celts 2014) at Mika's birthday party, this is the most aged Alion I have tried... This 24 year old Tempranillo showed plenty of elegance and was full of complexity.
Colour came across as red heading towards dark brown, with a 10mm pale rim. Could this be 20 years old I wondered? I knew it was Old World, and the medium- acidity on the palate led me to Italian. In fact, all of us guessed.. Italian. Or most did anyway, there were 1 or 2 guesses of Bordeaux.
Tannins are medium-, and the acidity seemed to get juicier and perhaps even up to medium by the end of the evening when I savoured the last drop.
Love the remnants of red fruits such as strawberry and cherries, with some blackberry and herbs coming through on the palate too. The oak is so well integrated, and the mouthfeel simply silky. The complexity on the mid-palate including earth and cedar made this all the more special. Drink-up, this is calling out its last hoorah presently!
1999 is rated as "excellent" in the Ribera del Duero region. Grapes were ripe, but there was a slightly rainy harvest period. Thus, whilst most of the reviews recommend a drinking window until 2015, I still found this to be immensely pleasurable today.
I am glad DQ found this at the "back of his cellar" and brought this out for Mika's birthday recently... what a treat, this was still excellent!
Extra Supertanker, Glo Damansara, Malaysia 30 Sept 2023
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A wine I've tried 10+ times over the years. Always very good. Still smooth as velvet and firm. Ceriieis, tobacco, olives, thyme and coppa. The nose is fantastic. This bottle showed a bit less fruit than before. Variation? On the decline? Got two bottles left and I will not wait long. This being said, still a very good wine!
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Complex and expressive nose showing sun ripe strawberry, blackberry, cherry liqueur, garrigue herbs, raw meat and asian spice. Some floral overtones and a bit of toasty oak.
Full bodied with bright acidity and silky tannins. Complex and intensive with a very pure feel to the fruit. There's layers upon layers of savory spice, raw meat, bright florals, earthy sous bois, well-balanced oak and sun ripe fruit. Really long finish with a little bit of warmth from the alcohol but now I'm just being picky.
This wine is in a great place right now but probably in the beginning of it's drinking window cause I can't pick up any tertiary notes. The sun ripe feel to the fruit along with meat and garrigue led me directly to southern Rhône. The oak made me a bit doubtful but I called this Châteauneuf-du-Pape somewhere around 2010.
Great wine.
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Purplish color with brick rim. Good intensity of aromas. Fruits are on a jammy candied side. Aromas of dried black plum. Somewhat herbal greenish. Mellow, silky, round on the palate.
This wine was my discovery of the night. Odd rainy '99 that was not promising in theory showed how beautifully Alion can mature. Wow! Elegant wine! Tertiary aromas will further develop. Alion finally convinced me why it is priced fairly close to V°5.
Not a wine of tremendous depth or complexity, but it is damn delicious, and the entire bottle disappeared without so much as a potty break. Enjoy now and over the next several years.
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Faint VA aroma and a little stewy, maybe heat damaged. Earthy and thin, all the fruit completely stripped. Very acidic and austere. Extremely thin. Seems Missed the boat on this one at least 5 years ago.
Liking this a lot right now. Though it started off kind of shy, after a respectable time in the glass, it revealed a silky texture, nice aromatics, and very good balance. Though I don't think this will be a very long term keeper, I think it will continue to drink well for several years, maybe more.
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Color rojo ligeramente amarronado, ribete suavemente atejado, capa alta y gruesa lágrima suavemente tintada. Buena intensidad en nariz con una fruta bien madura pero en el límite de la sobremaduración, los tostados de la barrica bien integrados y recuerdos de maderas viejas y barnices, café torrefacto en grano, pimientas secas, eucalipto seco, hojas de tabaco, cueros viejos, y ese toque que recuerda una habitación cerrada de hace tiempo de fondo con hojarasca y monte bajo seco. Correcta y amargosa entrada en boca, los tostados se muestran más duros que en nariz y sensaciones de maderas viejas, buen recorrido con una fruta bastante madura y en compota (arándanos azules), una acidez ligeramente cítrica que aporta un pequeño oasis de frescura, taninos algo duros, intenso en su recorrido pero ligero, se puede disfrutar bastante pero necesita mucha aireación y que no coja temperatura, de cuerpo medio y bastante persistente. Final largo, postgusto de fruta sobremadurada y retronasal de maderas viejas.
More information: www.elvi.net/2013/10/26/alion-magnum-1999/
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Love the cork. It's stamped on the top. Serious nose. Very Spaniard. It was a high pitched bottle, however. It screamed for food or a bit more concentration to balance. Puckery finish and lots of sediment. Lots.
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Desagüe al principio pero con tiempo tomillo y pan del día. Fue fermentado en acero. Alguno lo llama viejo estilo. Yo digo que sencillamente no es grande. Con algo de aire muestra algo de delicadeza.
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Excellent wine. Evolved very well. Surprised me, yet striking, the acidity and tannins. He was open and served, but perhaps should be decanted and aerated for a few hours.
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Lovely nose, balsamic, forest floor, a little olive. Extra points for bouquet. In the mouth it's gentle power, with substantial tannin showing and fully mature fruit. It's a delicate balance and perhaps the fruit won't survive as long as the tannins, but for now it's all good. Drinking nicely, but some meat helps. I'd lean towards drinking this over the next 3 - 5 years.
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Showing just a hint of brick on the ruby red color, this wine a displays notes of blueberry, camphor and cedar on the nose. Medium bodied with juicy cranberry flavors' mouthwatering acidity leads to a finish that is balanced and full.
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Purple color translucent on the edges. Brambly fresh crisp cherry nose with oak toast. Lean palate sweet red cherry. Light weight silkly focused mouth feel. High acid but not overbearing. Finish is med. Overall This wine is drinking great and can only loose fruit. For me this is a drink now especially with food. See manchego.
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Ribera del Duero: More char and chocolate than the '96 with oak and menthol beginning to show; this seems unusual. Awkward plum and oak palate. Weird and hard to interpret, some suggested a flaw but to me it tastes like a wine made in barrel instead of the vineyard. Not a lot to get excited about compared to the '96.
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{cork, 13.5%} As this shared provenance with my previous, suspected-heat-damaged bottle, I'm not expecting much. This one seemed better, with soft liquorice and vanilla aromas, along with some oak. Certainly old. Palate is mostly fine tannins, not much in the way of flavour (that heat damage again?). The structure seems to have survived, except for properly aged fruit characters. Accordingly, tastes a bit anonymous, medium-bodied, but with not much length of finish; altough the tongue is coated fairly well by the resolved tannins. So, possibly flawed, not screamingly so, better than the 2009 bottle, but possibly still not representative of this wine at its best.
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Beautiful and very open right out of the bottle! Drinking perfect right now, but has a couple of years still left. Oaky nose, but enough fruit to back up the oak. Definitely spanish, but with some hints of an aged Bordeaux on the nose and the acidity of a great Tuscan red in the mouth. Bouquet: Dark berries, tobacco, licorice and vanilla. Taste of cherries and strawberries.
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A sleek wine for food. Acid up front but aged flavors just behind. The fruit has reduced over time so I would drink up in the next 6 months. It may not the best vintage but still a great wine with a mellow aged complexity.
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First impression is overwhelming and it almost has diesel characteristics. After 30-45 minutes things change, both flavor and nose change, still powerful but more balanced, flowery, intense, great.
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Initially the nose shows some sweet oak but within 30 minutes this is well integrated. Lifted and floral, almost burgundian nose. Clearly tempranillo but with herbal and floral notes, a touch oxidative, dusty minerality and a lifted and pure and pretty character that transcends. Great acidity, energy and purity on the palate. Long. Very good and with a rosy future. A great bottle.
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First experience on a Alion Spain wine. More used to the California Cabs...this one was outstanding from the beginning. A different start. Smooth. Silky. Young slightly tannic. Medium Full body.
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{cork, 13.5%} Bottle 016669. The cork was 'old-saturated' 50% of the way up, with streaks higher. Garnet, but hardly glowing. The nose is varnishy and flat. Showing all the signs of heat abuse early in its life sometime. Traces of interesting smoky fruits remain, but all the personality is blunted, and the finish is limited to a part-oxidised, part-volatile type of gentle harshness. Pity.
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At the ECWS Exec dinner -- I thought this showed very well -- good fruit, oak, but not too much, rich with great length. And at the price from Garagiste, wonderful.
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It took a little while to open up. No formal notes, but this was delicious, and I didn't find the acids or alcohol to be distractions. 92+ to me, probably including an extra point for being different (I don't drink much tempranillo), and admittedly drunk somewhat later on and therefore when the palate was not so discerning. I wish I had another bottle. Nice combination of cedary red fruits with chocolate covered black cherries. I agree (remember) that this had a pleasant combination of medium body and a long finish.
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A whiff of oak and a touch of sweetness to the fruit on the palate tell me that this isn't quite at peak yet. On the nose though there is blood, pomegranite, cinnamon, cedar, lots of roasted earth, deep rich warm red and black fruit, dusty stoney notes. Well balanced with the tannins largely resolved. This is in a good place and will drink well for at least another 4-5 years if not much longer I would imagine. For my tastes I'm going to wait a year or two and let the oak and primary fruit back off a touch and a little more development take place though.
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Disgusting compost bin smell and taste on opening. Massive sediment. After 2 hours in decanter more like wine, but sour and bitter. Decent aroma emerged reluctantly. 88P(?)
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No sign of age in the color of this wine...it is a beautiful crimson with no bricking at the rim to indicate that it is actually close to a decade old. Amid slight scents of smoke, heavy oak, and black fruit there was an almost burning sense as the alcohol became a dominant factor within this wine. In the mouth there was pleanty of black fruit, ripe plums, and chocolate covered cherries. I can see many people enjoying this wine...it is certainly a special wine in it's own right. It is unfortunate that this outstanding wine was situated in a flight that included blind tastings of 97 Spottswood, 97 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli, and a 96 d'Armailhac.
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NM. Resinoso intenso, frutos vermelhos, notas balsâmicas, complexidade, frescor, equilíbrio e aquela mistura inexplicável de elegância e rusticidade. Excelente acidez e grande personalidade. Tudo o que se espera de um Alión. Ótimo para se beber agora e com bons anos ainda pela frente. Excepcional.
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'Quiet' nose, a little bit of oak, and a balsamic note. Sweet fruit in the mouth, some unresolved tannins here, but a generally mature wine. Succulent raspberry fruit and very nice finish, but I would have appreciated more depth.
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PI. Rubi escuro, com bastante sedimentos mas brilhante. Nariz fresco, lembrando esmalte, aceto balsâmico, cereja, morangos, com um floral sutil. Ao contrário da Jancis, não notei nada que remetesse a aromas animais. Fruta limpa e fresca, alta acidez, pimenta branca, taninos numerosos e finos. Apesar de não ser dos mais elegantes, tem a personalidade dos Vega Sicilia. Estilo bastante diferente do 2003, tomado no dia anterior. Este aqui tem menos opulência e muito mais tipicidade. Um Alión em grande estilo, que não fez feio mesmo tendo sido servido após um Valbuena 96. Excepcional.
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Restaurante Gero - Aberto em comemoração à nova união. Decantado por 2 horas. Apresenta uma coloração purpura escuro. Aromas não muito intensos mas profundos e sólidos revelando frutos vermelhos escuros, baunilha, resinoso, café e leve tostado. Na boca marcado pela pureza e extrema elegência. Acidez viva e fresca, taninos finíssimos e numerosos, médio corpo e perfeito equilíbrio. Ainda novo, deve evoluir bem. Só não sei se ficará ainda melhor do que está hoje. Boa persistência e final de taça lembrando tofee. Excepcional.
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Jancis Robinson reports that Alion moved back toward a more traditional style with the 2000. The '99 is definitely international style. Hard to identify as tempranillo. Very dark and dense. Sufficient acid to balance the intense and concentrated dark fruit flavors, but way, way over-oaked. Lots of vanilla. Not unpleasant, but not especially complex either. I didn't get any of the animal nuances that JR reported in a recent tasting note. Basically, a wine I'd drink on occasion if it was about one-fourth the price and there was nothing else good to choose from.
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Finally coming together very well. A nice brambly nose with the merest hint of barnyard, a medium light body with refreshing red fruit, acidity there but nicely integrated and I think now it has little to gain from further ageing.
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Spicy, somewhat closed nose. Medium-bodied with flavours of blueberry, currant, and black fruit - good balance. Very, very fat and silky in the mouth. Mild oaking with a very long finish.
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Ruby edge with a dark red center. On the nose, black pepper, black currants, cinnamon and tobacco. The palate is quite explosive with spice flavors and high acidity, medium body and somewhat hard tannin. Flavors of black cherry, blackberry and a lot of pepper spice. The joy of this is in the intriguing flavor. On the downside, I found it to be overly hard and acidic.
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NobleRottersSydney - Spanish night (Lucio's, Paddington): {cork, 13.5%} Almost black. Deep-chested blackcurrant and chocolatey notes are the most obvious aromas on the nose; intense and concentrated. The palate is monolithic, pure and dark, with waves of powerful grapey tannins prominent. Full weight and long finish, good balance, but absurdly young. Just pips the Baron as wine of the night for me.
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A deep purple shading gently to violet around the rim. An attractive if slightly closed nose of vanilla, bramble jelly, boysenberries and the merest hint of toasted brioche. A mid weight wine on the palate with an attractive thread of acidity, and with air, more noticeable tannins, this was an appealing wine, good black and red fruit flavours, working very well with a small chargrilled rib-ey steak. At this stage I would say this is too young, but it is a very pleasant drink at present, elegant and concentrated at the same time.
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Aromatic, toasty, resinous oak, currant, vanilla and floral nose. Full-bodied with very good flavour replays on the palate; plush and polished with a long, complex finish. 4.5/5
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100% tempranillo with 13 months in 100% new French oak casks. Released after two years in bottle. A heavy, prestige bottle embossed with the winery name and crest.
Big nose with vanilla and some exotic fruit and a bit of marzipan. Very Bordeaux like in style. Huge tannic structure and also a good acidic backbone. Complex, with nice fruit and an excellent finish.
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9/30/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 92 Points
My joint-WOTN (along with my Torbreck The Celts 2014) at Mika's birthday party, this is the most aged Alion I have tried... This 24 year old Tempranillo showed plenty of elegance and was full of complexity.
Colour came across as red heading towards dark brown, with a 10mm pale rim. Could this be 20 years old I wondered? I knew it was Old World, and the medium- acidity on the palate led me to Italian. In fact, all of us guessed.. Italian. Or most did anyway, there were 1 or 2 guesses of Bordeaux.
Tannins are medium-, and the acidity seemed to get juicier and perhaps even up to medium by the end of the evening when I savoured the last drop.
Love the remnants of red fruits such as strawberry and cherries, with some blackberry and herbs coming through on the palate too. The oak is so well integrated, and the mouthfeel simply silky. The complexity on the mid-palate including earth and cedar made this all the more special. Drink-up, this is calling out its last hoorah presently!
1999 is rated as "excellent" in the Ribera del Duero region. Grapes were ripe, but there was a slightly rainy harvest period. Thus, whilst most of the reviews recommend a drinking window until 2015, I still found this to be immensely pleasurable today.
I am glad DQ found this at the "back of his cellar" and brought this out for Mika's birthday recently... what a treat, this was still excellent!
Extra Supertanker, Glo
Damansara, Malaysia
30 Sept 2023
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6/27/2021 - Lars1974 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A wine I've tried 10+ times over the years. Always very good.
Still smooth as velvet and firm. Ceriieis, tobacco, olives, thyme and coppa. The nose is fantastic. This bottle showed a bit less fruit than before. Variation? On the decline? Got two bottles left and I will not wait long.
This being said, still a very good wine!
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8/31/2019 - appel54 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tegelröd färg
Mogna jordgubbar, kaffe, läder, ekat, té (rött), balsamträ, nyponsoppa, lavendel
Torr, stram, en viss syra, härlig längd
Grymt vin!
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8/31/2019 - karl.1480 Likes this wine: 94 Points
BYOB with a couple of friends; 8/31/2019-9/1/2019 (Gothenburg): Tasted blind.
Medium intensity, ruby color.
Complex and expressive nose showing sun ripe strawberry, blackberry, cherry liqueur, garrigue herbs, raw meat and asian spice. Some floral overtones and a bit of toasty oak.
Full bodied with bright acidity and silky tannins. Complex and intensive with a very pure feel to the fruit. There's layers upon layers of savory spice, raw meat, bright florals, earthy sous bois, well-balanced oak and sun ripe fruit. Really long finish with a little bit of warmth from the alcohol but now I'm just being picky.
This wine is in a great place right now but probably in the beginning of it's drinking window cause I can't pick up any tertiary notes. The sun ripe feel to the fruit along with meat and garrigue led me directly to southern Rhône. The oak made me a bit doubtful but I called this Châteauneuf-du-Pape somewhere around 2010.
Great wine.
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2/23/2018 - StasMedvedev.lv Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened 2 hours in advance and poured in carafe.
Purplish color with brick rim. Good intensity of aromas. Fruits are on a jammy candied side. Aromas of dried black plum. Somewhat herbal greenish. Mellow, silky, round on the palate.
This wine was my discovery of the night. Odd rainy '99 that was not promising in theory showed how beautifully Alion can mature. Wow! Elegant wine! Tertiary aromas will further develop.
Alion finally convinced me why it is priced fairly close to V°5.
---
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9/7/2017 - robmatic wrote: 91 Points
Going strong. Excellent drinking now and over the next 3-5 years I'd imagine.
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3/23/2017 - king-bing wrote:
Good shape. Sumptuous. Decent fruit remains. Slight burnt quality to the fruit?
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3/4/2016 - robmatic wrote: 91 Points
Not a wine of tremendous depth or complexity, but it is damn delicious, and the entire bottle disappeared without so much as a potty break. Enjoy now and over the next several years.
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5/13/2015 - mattyboy_ wrote:
Faint VA aroma and a little stewy, maybe heat damaged. Earthy and thin, all the fruit completely stripped. Very acidic and austere. Extremely thin. Seems Missed the boat on this one at least 5 years ago.
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2/6/2015 - robmatic wrote: 91 Points
Liking this a lot right now. Though it started off kind of shy, after a respectable time in the glass, it revealed a silky texture, nice aromatics, and very good balance. Though I don't think this will be a very long term keeper, I think it will continue to drink well for several years, maybe more.
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1/17/2015 - elvinet wrote: 88 Points
Color rojo ligeramente amarronado, ribete suavemente atejado, capa alta y gruesa lágrima suavemente tintada. Buena intensidad en nariz con una fruta bien madura pero en el límite de la sobremaduración, los tostados de la barrica bien integrados y recuerdos de maderas viejas y barnices, café torrefacto en grano, pimientas secas, eucalipto seco, hojas de tabaco, cueros viejos, y ese toque que recuerda una habitación cerrada de hace tiempo de fondo con hojarasca y monte bajo seco. Correcta y amargosa entrada en boca, los tostados se muestran más duros que en nariz y sensaciones de maderas viejas, buen recorrido con una fruta bastante madura y en compota (arándanos azules), una acidez ligeramente cítrica que aporta un pequeño oasis de frescura, taninos algo duros, intenso en su recorrido pero ligero, se puede disfrutar bastante pero necesita mucha aireación y que no coja temperatura, de cuerpo medio y bastante persistente. Final largo, postgusto de fruta sobremadurada y retronasal de maderas viejas.
More information: www.elvi.net/2013/10/26/alion-magnum-1999/
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1/23/2013 - ecola Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted blind. Red berries and a little mushroom flavor make this very interesting. Gains depth from glass time. A very balanced food wine.
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1/19/2013 - ecola Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very dry but still showing red berries with minerality and acidity. Old world style.
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1/16/2013 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 91 Points
Love the cork. It's stamped on the top. Serious nose. Very Spaniard. It was a high pitched bottle, however. It screamed for food or a bit more concentration to balance. Puckery finish and lots of sediment. Lots.
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11/30/2012 - SoCal Likes this wine:
Beautiful dried cherries mixed with high tangy acidity and a chocolate undertone. Overall nicely balanced and best with food. Drink now.
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11/15/2012 - Harley1199 wrote:
Historical & Vertical Alión Tasting (Bodega Santa Cecilia - Madrid): Pipe drain at first but with time thyme and fresh bread. It was fermented in steel. Some call it old style. I say this is not great as simple a sthat. With air some delicated sense.
Desagüe al principio pero con tiempo tomillo y pan del día. Fue fermentado en acero. Alguno lo llama viejo estilo. Yo digo que sencillamente no es grande. Con algo de aire muestra algo de delicadeza.
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10/13/2012 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent wine. Evolved very well. Surprised me, yet striking, the acidity and tannins. He was open and served, but perhaps should be decanted and aerated for a few hours.
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9/8/2012 - robmatic wrote: 93 Points
Lovely nose, balsamic, forest floor, a little olive. Extra points for bouquet. In the mouth it's gentle power, with substantial tannin showing and fully mature fruit. It's a delicate balance and perhaps the fruit won't survive as long as the tannins, but for now it's all good. Drinking nicely, but some meat helps. I'd lean towards drinking this over the next 3 - 5 years.
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11/25/2011 - leloupedevin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bright acidity, that mellows with a little time out of the bottle. Cherry fruit starts to pop after a bit, and light tannins come forward.
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10/29/2011 - astrauss wrote: 93 Points
Cedar and spice on the nose. Great acidity. Shared with a winemaker who worked at Vega the year before this vintage. Lovely.
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10/24/2011 - ecola Likes this wine: 91 Points
I really like this. Very dry yet fruit forward, drinking great right now.
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8/30/2011 - alba_br wrote: 93 Points
Excelente. Taninos macios e sedosos. Aroma de amoras, na boca se apresenta muito complexo, mas muito elegante, equilibrado.
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8/28/2011 - Tom_B wrote: 92 Points
Showing just a hint of brick on the ruby red color, this wine a displays notes of blueberry, camphor and cedar on the nose. Medium bodied with juicy cranberry flavors' mouthwatering acidity leads to a finish that is balanced and full.
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8/4/2011 - SoCal wrote:
Purple color translucent on the edges. Brambly fresh crisp cherry nose with oak toast. Lean palate sweet red cherry. Light weight silkly focused mouth feel. High acid but not overbearing. Finish is med. Overall This wine is drinking great and can only loose fruit. For me this is a drink now especially with food. See manchego.
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7/1/2011 - andtheodor wrote: 88 Points
Ribera del Duero: More char and chocolate than the '96 with oak and menthol beginning to show; this seems unusual. Awkward plum and oak palate. Weird and hard to interpret, some suggested a flaw but to me it tastes like a wine made in barrel instead of the vineyard. Not a lot to get excited about compared to the '96.
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4/22/2011 - pdefelipe wrote: 94 Points
One of my favorites!
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4/17/2011 - SoCal wrote:
Much higher in acid than I recall the last bottles being. Still good but needs food to balance.
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3/27/2011 - pdefelipe wrote: 93 Points
Cada vez está mejor, gran vino!!
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1/6/2011 - graemeg wrote:
{cork, 13.5%} As this shared provenance with my previous, suspected-heat-damaged bottle, I'm not expecting much. This one seemed better, with soft liquorice and vanilla aromas, along with some oak. Certainly old. Palate is mostly fine tannins, not much in the way of flavour (that heat damage again?). The structure seems to have survived, except for properly aged fruit characters. Accordingly, tastes a bit anonymous, medium-bodied, but with not much length of finish; altough the tongue is coated fairly well by the resolved tannins. So, possibly flawed, not screamingly so, better than the 2009 bottle, but possibly still not representative of this wine at its best.
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1/2/2011 - klino wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful and very open right out of the bottle! Drinking perfect right now, but has a couple of years still left. Oaky nose, but enough fruit to back up the oak. Definitely spanish, but with some hints of an aged Bordeaux on the nose and the acidity of a great Tuscan red in the mouth. Bouquet: Dark berries, tobacco, licorice and vanilla. Taste of cherries and strawberries.
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9/11/2010 - SoCal wrote:
A sleek wine for food. Acid up front but aged flavors just behind. The fruit has reduced over time so I would drink up in the next 6 months. It may not the best vintage but still a great wine with a mellow aged complexity.
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5/12/2010 - ffvega wrote: 93 Points
First impression is overwhelming and it almost has diesel characteristics. After 30-45 minutes things change, both flavor and nose change, still powerful but more balanced, flowery, intense, great.
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4/14/2010 - pbjosh wrote: 93 Points
Initially the nose shows some sweet oak but within 30 minutes this is well integrated. Lifted and floral, almost burgundian nose. Clearly tempranillo but with herbal and floral notes, a touch oxidative, dusty minerality and a lifted and pure and pretty character that transcends. Great acidity, energy and purity on the palate. Long. Very good and with a rosy future. A great bottle.
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12/10/2009 - txfireman wrote: 93 Points
First experience on a Alion Spain wine. More used to the California Cabs...this one was outstanding from the beginning. A different start. Smooth. Silky. Young slightly tannic. Medium Full body.
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7/31/2009 - graemeg wrote: flawed
{cork, 13.5%} Bottle 016669. The cork was 'old-saturated' 50% of the way up, with streaks higher. Garnet, but hardly glowing. The nose is varnishy and flat. Showing all the signs of heat abuse early in its life sometime. Traces of interesting smoky fruits remain, but all the personality is blunted, and the finish is limited to a part-oxidised, part-volatile type of gentle harshness. Pity.
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5/12/2009 - gbauer wrote:
At the ECWS Exec dinner -- I thought this showed very well -- good fruit, oak, but not too much, rich with great length. And at the price from Garagiste, wonderful.
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5/3/2009 - silton wrote:
It took a little while to open up. No formal notes, but this was delicious, and I didn't find the acids or alcohol to be distractions. 92+ to me, probably including an extra point for being different (I don't drink much tempranillo), and admittedly drunk somewhat later on and therefore when the palate was not so discerning. I wish I had another bottle. Nice combination of cedary red fruits with chocolate covered black cherries. I agree (remember) that this had a pleasant combination of medium body and a long finish.
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12/4/2008 - pbjosh wrote: 94 Points
A whiff of oak and a touch of sweetness to the fruit on the palate tell me that this isn't quite at peak yet. On the nose though there is blood, pomegranite, cinnamon, cedar, lots of roasted earth, deep rich warm red and black fruit, dusty stoney notes. Well balanced with the tannins largely resolved. This is in a good place and will drink well for at least another 4-5 years if not much longer I would imagine. For my tastes I'm going to wait a year or two and let the oak and primary fruit back off a touch and a little more development take place though.
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11/1/2008 - honest bob wrote: 88 Points
Disgusting compost bin smell and taste on opening. Massive sediment. After 2 hours in decanter more like wine, but sour and bitter. Decent aroma emerged reluctantly. 88P(?)
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9/8/2008 - Kirk Grant wrote:
No sign of age in the color of this wine...it is a beautiful crimson with no bricking at the rim to indicate that it is actually close to a decade old. Amid slight scents of smoke, heavy oak, and black fruit there was an almost burning sense as the alcohol became a dominant factor within this wine. In the mouth there was pleanty of black fruit, ripe plums, and chocolate covered cherries. I can see many people enjoying this wine...it is certainly a special wine in it's own right. It is unfortunate that this outstanding wine was situated in a flight that included blind tastings of 97 Spottswood, 97 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli, and a 96 d'Armailhac.
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5/20/2008 - bwillia wrote: 94 Points
This is great big stuff. One of my favorite Spanish wines.
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4/28/2008 - jackarmando wrote: 95 Points
Evolved and delicious. Aroma is subdued but nice. Taste is prolonged and sophisticated.
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3/1/2008 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
Best immediately after opening. Tannic and sour. 89P
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11/18/2007 - Vinho wrote: 93 Points
NM. Resinoso intenso, frutos vermelhos, notas balsâmicas, complexidade, frescor, equilíbrio e aquela mistura inexplicável de elegância e rusticidade. Excelente acidez e grande personalidade. Tudo o que se espera de um Alión. Ótimo para se beber agora e com bons anos ainda pela frente. Excepcional.
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11/1/2007 - robmatic wrote: 89 Points
'Quiet' nose, a little bit of oak, and a balsamic note. Sweet fruit in the mouth, some unresolved tannins here, but a generally mature wine. Succulent raspberry fruit and very nice finish, but I would have appreciated more depth.
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10/9/2007 - Vinho wrote: 92 Points
PI. Rubi escuro, com bastante sedimentos mas brilhante. Nariz fresco, lembrando esmalte, aceto balsâmico, cereja, morangos, com um floral sutil. Ao contrário da Jancis, não notei nada que remetesse a aromas animais. Fruta limpa e fresca, alta acidez, pimenta branca, taninos numerosos e finos. Apesar de não ser dos mais elegantes, tem a personalidade dos Vega Sicilia. Estilo bastante diferente do 2003, tomado no dia anterior. Este aqui tem menos opulência e muito mais tipicidade. Um Alión em grande estilo, que não fez feio mesmo tendo sido servido após um Valbuena 96. Excepcional.
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8/22/2007 - losvinhos wrote: 92 Points
Restaurante Gero - Aberto em comemoração à nova união. Decantado por 2 horas. Apresenta uma coloração purpura escuro. Aromas não muito intensos mas profundos e sólidos revelando frutos vermelhos escuros, baunilha, resinoso, café e leve tostado. Na boca marcado pela pureza e extrema elegência. Acidez viva e fresca, taninos finíssimos e numerosos, médio corpo e perfeito equilíbrio. Ainda novo, deve evoluir bem. Só não sei se ficará ainda melhor do que está hoje. Boa persistência e final de taça lembrando tofee. Excepcional.
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7/20/2007 - jcoughlon wrote: 90 Points
Great nose, very dry finish. Good but not worth the $$.
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5/16/2007 - JamesSanders wrote:
Jancis Robinson reports that Alion moved back toward a more traditional style with the 2000. The '99 is definitely international style. Hard to identify as tempranillo. Very dark and dense. Sufficient acid to balance the intense and concentrated dark fruit flavors, but way, way over-oaked. Lots of vanilla. Not unpleasant, but not especially complex either. I didn't get any of the animal nuances that JR reported in a recent tasting note. Basically, a wine I'd drink on occasion if it was about one-fourth the price and there was nothing else good to choose from.
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1/20/2007 - CharlesM wrote: 90 Points
Finally coming together very well. A nice brambly nose with the merest hint of barnyard, a medium light body with refreshing red fruit, acidity there but nicely integrated and I think now it has little to gain from further ageing.
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1/1/2007 - honest bob wrote: 93 Points
Very, very fine, intense raspberry perfume and magnificent acidity and sourness. 93P(+)
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4/16/2006 - Espanamour wrote: 91 Points
Still liking it. Blueberries, medium-full bodied. Silky feel, decently long finish. A very elegant wine.
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12/14/2005 - Espanamour wrote: 91 Points
Spicy, somewhat closed nose. Medium-bodied with flavours of blueberry, currant, and black fruit - good balance. Very, very fat and silky in the mouth. Mild oaking with a very long finish.
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9/29/2005 - Vinho wrote: 91 Points
PI. Bastante sedimento. Decantar. Excepcional
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8/1/2005 - Cofxc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Vanilla, tobacco, berries. Very youthful. More to come. 30 Euro Madrid.
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6/14/2005 - dougsmith wrote: 91 Points
Ruby edge with a dark red center. On the nose, black pepper, black currants, cinnamon and tobacco. The palate is quite explosive with spice flavors and high acidity, medium body and somewhat hard tannin. Flavors of black cherry, blackberry and a lot of pepper spice. The joy of this is in the intriguing flavor. On the downside, I found it to be overly hard and acidic.
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6/6/2005 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Spanish night (Lucio's, Paddington): {cork, 13.5%} Almost black. Deep-chested blackcurrant and chocolatey notes are the most obvious aromas on the nose; intense and concentrated. The palate is monolithic, pure and dark, with waves of powerful grapey tannins prominent. Full weight and long finish, good balance, but absurdly young. Just pips the Baron as wine of the night for me.
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4/18/2005 - CharlesM wrote: 90 Points
A deep purple shading gently to violet around the rim. An attractive if slightly closed nose of vanilla, bramble jelly, boysenberries and the merest hint of toasted brioche. A mid weight wine on the palate with an attractive thread of acidity, and with air, more noticeable tannins, this was an appealing wine, good black and red fruit flavours, working very well with a small chargrilled rib-ey steak. At this stage I would say this is too young, but it is a very pleasant drink at present, elegant and concentrated at the same time.
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4/1/2005 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
Fine, distinguished tobacco/cedar/berry scent, sour/sweet balance and length like a much reduced Castillo YGAY '70. Overpriced at 37 Euros. 90P
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1/27/2005 - chbeaumont wrote:
Sweet fruit, american oak; toffeed, clean, balanced, drinking well. 17
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12/11/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Kensington Wine Tasting, Before and During Auction (The Pump Room - Chicago IL): Wine tasting. Nose of red cherry, espresso and some background notes of new oak spice. Tightly wound red fruit with lots of power coming through on finish. Strong potential, probably from 2009 forward.
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9/7/2004 - Double-A Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aromatic, toasty, resinous oak, currant, vanilla and floral nose. Full-bodied with very good flavour replays on the palate; plush and polished with a long, complex finish.
4.5/5
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5/28/2003 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 91 Points
100% tempranillo with 13 months in 100% new French oak casks. Released after two years in bottle. A heavy, prestige bottle embossed with the winery name and crest.
Big nose with vanilla and some exotic fruit and a bit of marzipan. Very Bordeaux like in style. Huge tannic structure and also a good acidic backbone. Complex, with nice fruit and an excellent finish.
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5/12/2003 - Vino Me wrote: 88 Points
This estate is owned by Vega Sicilia. It was a fruity wine with notes of sweet raspberry and cherry. Medium bodied with mild tannins. 88-89.
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