The 2005 Alion has a captivating perfume of smoke, pencil lead, violets, truffle, cherry, and blackberry. On the palate it is medium to full-bodied, firm, sweetly-fruited, layered, and splendidly balanced. It has several years of aging potential and will offer prime drinking from 2013 to 2025

Inky ruby. Smoky and wild on the nose, showing assertively pungent cherry and blackcurrant aromas, along with notes of pipe tobacco and smoked meat. Powerful, palate-staining cherry-cola and licorice flavors are given bite by a bitter berry skin quality. The licorice and smoky notes repeat on the long, focused finish, which reveals a sneaky sweetness. Showing a lot of power, and built to age.

Owned by Vega Sicilia. Black fruit compote; super-smooth and caressing, still delicate and subtle, yet somehow unputdownable. The fruit has a tremendous clarity and a soft bite to the tannin, still plenty of weight in the mid-palate and is probably just drawing the curtains on its drinking window. There is a slight indication of the leather and savoury spice to come.  (RH)