Wine Advocate # 229 - 28th Feb 2017 - Luis Gutiérrez - 2013 Alión - 94/100 - 2017 - 2023 - $90
The careful selection of the grapes and the work directives even for the purchased grapes has clearly paid off in the 2013 Alión, which has great freshness and perfume. It was cropped from a relatively normal growing season, but with a cold September with some rains that provoked a slight delay in the picking and especially the seed for a severe sorting of the grapes. It's considered a challenging vintage in general, and the bottles produced are slightly less than in the healthier 2012. It's always pure Tempranillo from over 30-year-old vines in different villages: Pesquera, Padilla, Moradillo... It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts after a three-day cold soak, followed by malolactic and 12-14 months in new French barriques. It might be a lighter vintage for Alión, but one that has a subtler profile and harmony. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, with a thread of acidity going through its core and lifting it up. An elegant Alión. 260,000 bottles and some larger formats were filled in May 2015

James Suckling - January 18, 2018 - Alion Ribera del Duero 2013 - 94/100
The structure and finesse of this wine are impressive. Chocolate, light coffee, dried berry and strawberry character. Full body, very fine and polished. Focused and beautiful. Better in 2020 but already a joy to taste.