A TORO WITH INTENSITY AND CHARACTER

Vega Sicilia has 110ha in Toro; 72% of the vines on their own rootstocks (a feature of Toro’s phylloxera-resistant soils). Inky colour, with exuberant aromas of blackberries, cranberries and cedar. The palate is all about power, balanced by fine freshness. The dark fruits are overload by black pepper and cumin spices. They are easing back the oak: 35% of the malolactic is in barrel. Only 20% of the ageing is in American oak, the rest French. Decanter, 94 points

• 13 months in French and American oak barrels
• 100% Tinta de Toro
• Decanter, 94 points

Cellaring: it can be aged for up to 15 years

Food Pairing: Red meat, game, roast goat, spicy dishes, hard cheeses

STORY BEHIND THIS WINE

Vega Sicilia is legendary, Spain’s most iconic wine estate, established in 1864 when Don Eloy Lecanda, having trained as a winemaker in Bordeaux returned to Castille and planted varieties he had brought back with him, alongside the local hero, Tempranillo. The flagship label, Unico is a blend of these and released about ten years after the harvest with a price tag to match its exalted reputation.

The Alvarez family bought the estate in 1982 and gradually modernised and increased production and in 1991 decided to create a Ribero del Duero solely from Tempranillo or Tinto Fino as it is known locally, released earlier than their famous Unico and so Alión was born, taking its name from Leon, where the family patriarch was born.