TEMPOS Vega Sicilia: Building Wines on Time, Not Urgency

TEMPOS Vega Sicilia: Building Wines on Time, Not Urgency.

With Macán in Rioja and Oremus in Tokaj, we previously explored two very different expressions within the TEMPOS Vega Sicilia universe. Both stories showed how the group operates beyond Ribera del Duero, adapting to distinct regions, grape varieties, and cultural contexts without losing its identity. Each project stood firmly on its own, yet clearly benefited from being part of a larger, deeply rooted whole.

After those two chapters, it felt like the right moment to step back and look at the structure behind them. To understand how such diverse wineries can coexist under one umbrella, we sat down with Jessica Julmy, who recently joined TEMPOS Vega Sicilia as Managing Director In this role, she oversees the group’s overall strategy and operations, working across all estates while safeguarding the philosophy that has shaped the company for decades.

This article grows out of that conversation. Rather than focusing on a single winery, it looks at TEMPOS Vega Sicilia from the inside out: its long-term vision, its way of working, and the values that guide decision-making across regions and generations. To ground that broader perspective, the second half of the article returns to two concrete examples within the group—Bodegas Alión in Ribera del Duero and Pintia in Toro—illustrating how a shared philosophy translates into distinctly different wines.

A Group Defined by Patience Rather Than Expansion

TEMPOS Vega Sicilia is often referred to as a wine group, yet it does not behave like a conventional one. Its growth has been slow, selective, and largely reactive rather than strategic in the corporate sense. New projects have never been pursued for scale alone; each has required a clear justification rooted in terroir, people, and long-term potential.

This measured pace is inseparable from the Álvarez family’s stewardship. Over the past four decades, they have shaped TEMPOS Vega Sicilia around a belief that wine is fundamentally incompatible with short-term thinking. Time—whether in the vineyard, the cellar, or the market—is treated not as a cost, but as an essential asset. This perspective explains why the group has resisted many of the pressures that define the modern fine-wine industry, from rapid brand extensions to accelerated release cycles.

Within TEMPOS Vega Sicilia, quality is not confined to flagship wines or iconic labels. It is expected across volumes, regions, and price points. Research plays a central role in this approach, from long-term soil studies and viticultural trials to constant experimentation in the cellar. Many of these efforts never become visible to the consumer, yet they inform decisions year after year, gradually shaping the wines.

Rather than relying on formal manifestos or rigid structures, the group operates through a shared understanding. The priority is clear and widely internalized: decisions are made in service of the wine, even when they complicate logistics, delay commercial returns, or demand significant investment.

From Individual Estates to a Coherent Ecosystem

As TEMPOS Vega Sicilia has expanded beyond its historic base in Ribera del Duero, complexity has naturally increased. Today, the group spans multiple regions and countries, each with its own climatic challenges, regulatory frameworks, and market realities. Managing this diversity requires a careful balance between autonomy and cohesion.

Instead of imposing a uniform style or centralized control, TEMPOS Vega Sicilia functions as an ecosystem. Each winery is expected to develop its own identity and expression, rooted in its terroir. At the same time, knowledge and experience circulate within the group—viticultural insights, research findings, and technical expertise—creating a collective foundation without erasing individuality.

This structure places particular importance on leadership and coordination. Jessica Julmy’s role sits precisely at this intersection. Her task is not to redefine TEMPOS Vega Sicilia, but to ensure that the principles established over decades remain effective as the organisation becomes more geographically and operationally complex. It is a question of coherence rather than growth: preserving clarity of purpose while navigating a global market that is changing in terms of consumption patterns, distribution models, and expectations around sustainability and authenticity.

The wines of Alión and Pintia offer two instructive answers to that challenge. Both are deeply anchored in their respective regions, and both operate within the same value system—yet they could hardly be more different in character.

Alión: Interpreting Ribera del Duero Through Diversity

Founded in the early 1990s, Alión was the first project launched after Vega Sicilia itself. Its creation coincided with Ribera del Duero’s emergence onto the international stage, at a time when the region was still defining its identity beyond a small group of pioneering estates. Rather than replicating Vega Sicilia’s estate-driven model, Alión was conceived with a different ambition: to express Ribera del Duero as a whole.

While Vega Sicilia relies exclusively on estate-owned vineyards, Alión works extensively with growers across the appellation. These long-term relationships span the full geographical breadth of Ribera del Duero, from higher-altitude sites to warmer valley floors, and across a wide range of soil types. This diversity is not incidental—it is central to the wine’s identity.

As a result, Alión is inherently adaptive. Vineyard selection and harvest decisions vary from year to year, responding to climatic conditions and the character of each vintage. Certain parcels may take center stage in cooler years, others in warmer ones. The objective is not consistency of recipe, but consistency of expression: capturing what Ribera del Duero offers in a given year.

In the cellar, this philosophy continues through a highly nuanced élevage. A broad palette of oak origins, toast levels, and vessel sizes is used to refine texture and structure rather than impose flavour. The gradual introduction of smaller containers has further increased precision, allowing individual parcels to be assessed and shaped before final blending. Despite its substantial production, Alión is approached with a level of detail more often associated with much smaller wineries.

Crucially, Alión is not positioned as a secondary wine or a stepping stone to Vega Sicilia. It stands on its own terms, offering a contemporary, focused expression of Ribera del Duero that values balance, freshness, and clarity alongside depth.

2021 Alión – Ribera del Duero | 95/100 DWA score

The 2021 Alión stands as one of the most accomplished releases of the past decade, shaped by a vintage that allowed precision rather than intervention to take center stage. The growing season unfolded calmly and gradually, marked by winter cold, a balanced spring, and a relatively cool summer that slowed ripening and preserved freshness. Crucially, the final stretch toward harvest remained dry, allowing the grapes to reach full phenolic maturity without excess.

Sourced from a wide selection of vineyards across Ribera del Duero—spanning thirteen villages and a broad range of soils and altitudes—the wine is conceived as a panoramic expression of the appellation. This diversity is central to Alión’s identity, and in 2021 it translated into a wine of remarkable balance and composure. Fermentation with native yeasts and careful extraction emphasized purity and texture, while élevage focused on refinement rather than imprint.

In the glass, the 2021 Alión is defined by freshness and clarity. Dark cherry, blackberry, and blueberry fruit form the core, layered with graphite, subtle cocoa, fine spice, and a faint floral lift. The palate is fluid and energetic, driven by a vibrant acid line that gives the wine tension and length. Tannins are polished and chalky, lending structure without weight, and the oak—used with notable restraint—is seamlessly integrated, shaping the wine’s architecture rather than its flavour profile.

There is a quiet confidence to this vintage: slightly austere in its youth, yet deeply harmonious, with a sense of proportion that recalls the finest cooler years in Ribera del Duero. While already approachable thanks to its balance and texture, this Alión clearly has the depth and inner energy to evolve gracefully over the coming decade. It is a benchmark expression of the appellation and, without doubt, one of the most complete Alións in recent memory.

Pintia: Patience and Precision in Toro

If Alión reflects Ribera del Duero through diversity, Pintia represents a long-term engagement with a far more uncompromising landscape. Located in Toro, Pintia works primarily with old-vine Tinta de Toro in a region known for climatic extremes, poor soils, and naturally high alcohol levels.

From the outset, TEMPOS Vega Sicilia understood that success in Toro would not be immediate. Early vintages were as much about learning as they were about results—studying soils, mapping microclimates, and understanding how old vines respond to heat, drought, and seasonal variability. Viticulture became the cornerstone of the project, with particular emphasis on harvest timing and vine balance.

In the cellar, restraint gradually replaced extraction. Aging decisions were refined, and one of the most significant steps in Pintia’s evolution was extending its maturation period, giving the wine additional time to integrate before release. This decision reflects a broader principle within the group: wines should reach the market when they are ready, not when the market demands them.

Over time, these incremental adjustments reshaped Pintia’s identity. While it remains unmistakably Toro in character, the wine has gained finesse, balance, and consistency. In recent years, Pintia has found a strong following in international markets, often selling out well ahead of the next vintage—a reflection of sustained refinement rather than sudden stylistic change.

2020 Pintia – Toro | 94/100 DWA score

The 2020 Pintia is a vivid reflection of a demanding Toro vintage, shaped by heat, low rainfall, and a growing season that pushed concentration to the forefront. Warm and dry conditions dominated the year, with a pronounced heat spike in the final stretch before harvest, forcing rapid and precise picking decisions. In response, the focus shifted from extraction to containment, prioritizing balance over sheer power.

The wine is drawn from old-vine Tinta de Toro rooted in some of the appellation’s most uncompromising soils, where stony surface layers and clay-rich subsoils play a crucial role in moderating water stress. In the cellar, vinification choices were deliberately restrained. Extraction was softened, and a broader range of vessels—including larger-format oak and clay amphorae—was employed to temper ripeness and preserve freshness. Oak usage was refined, with reduced toast levels and a more discreet aromatic influence.

On the nose, the wine is intense and expressive, offering layers of ripe black fruit, plum, and blackberry alongside graphite, cocoa, dried herbs, and a faint smoky nuance. There is a sense of warmth and generosity, but also definition. The palate is full-bodied and dense, yet carried by a surprising sense of energy. Tannins are abundant and textural—chalky and slightly dusty—providing grip without heaviness. As the wine opens, the initial impression of opulence gives way to greater clarity, with mineral and savoury notes emerging alongside the fruit.

Despite its natural richness and elevated alcohol, the 2020 Pintia maintains composure. The structure is firm, the alcohol well integrated, and the finish long and savoury, marked by spice and subtle bitterness that adds complexity rather than weight. 

This is one of the most powerful expressions of Pintia to date, yet it remains true to the estate’s evolving philosophy: embracing Toro’s intensity while shaping it with precision and restraint. Built for longevity, it promises to gain further nuance as the fruit and structure continue to knit together over time.

Looking Ahead: Responsibility in a Changing World

As TEMPOS Vega Sicilia looks to the future, its challenges are less about recognition and more about responsibility. Climate change is already reshaping viticulture across all regions, particularly in warmer areas such as Toro. Rising temperatures, water stress, and shifting harvest windows demand continued investment in research, vineyard management, and long-term adaptation.

At the same time, the global fine-wine market is evolving. Traditional markets are maturing, distribution models are changing, and new generations of consumers approach wine with different expectations. For TEMPOS Vega Sicilia, the task is not to chase trends, but to remain relevant without compromising its principles.

This means reinforcing identity rather than broadening it. It means ensuring that volume growth—where it occurs—never outpaces qualitative ambition. And it means continuing to see time not as a limitation, but as the group’s defining advantage.

In an industry increasingly driven by immediacy, TEMPOS Vega Sicilia remains committed to a slower, more demanding path. Alión and Pintia demonstrate how this philosophy translates into practice: wines shaped by patience, precision, and an unwavering respect for place. The future, as the group understands it, will be built in exactly the same way—one considered decision at a time.

This article is written by our own Niels Aarts. We would like to TEMPOS Vega Sicilia, in particular Jessica Julmy, for their time and the opportunity to write this article. The wines are imported and distributed in the Netherlands by Colaris, and available for professionals and direct sale.