2015 | CVNE | Imperial Reserva

This balanced red shows muscle without losing grace. Black cherry, leafy, forest floor and toasty notes mingle over well-integrated tannins in a silky texture, with fresh acidity giving way to a floral, minerally finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The analysis of the 2015 Imperial Reserva is almost identical to those of the Viña Real Reserva from the same vintage, but the profile is quite different. This is the more serious Haro-style red, and it has slightly darker fruit and a medium to full-bodied palate with very good grip, powerful but with great balance. The blend is also similar—85% Tempranillo and the rest split between Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha—but these are grapes from Rioja Alta fermented with yeasts selected from their own vineyards. The wine matured in French and American oak barrels for two years. The wines are different, but the quality level is similar. 150,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2018.

• James Suckling: A tight and linear red now with very long and direct palate that is driven and intense. Medium to full body, bright blackberry and mineral character. Just a baby now. Give it three to four years to soften. A beauty.

Producer Information

Compañia Vinicola del Norte de España (or CVNE, or Cune) is a historic wine producer in the Rioja region of Spain. It has gained international acclaim for numerous wines within its large portfolio, which encompasses everything from easy-drinking table wines to top cuvées that are capable of long cellaring. One particular highlight was the 2004 Imperial Gran Reserva. This was named the top wine in the 2013 edition of Wine Spectator's Top 100. The CVNE range also includes Crianza and Reserva red wines, Blanco and Blanco Reserva, a Rosado and a white Rioja Semidulce (semi-sweet). From beyond Rioja there is also a white from the nearby Rueda region and a Ribera del Duero red. The main CVNE winery was founded near Haro railway station in 1879, and has been owned by the same family since. The complex has 22 buildings including the original 1879 premises and a separate plant designed by the Eiffel studio and completed in 1909. CVNE owns 545 hectares (1350 acres) of vineyards, but this only represents 50 percent of production. Contract growers supply the other half. Imperial is a separate, independently functioning winery within the CVNE compound. It is supplied by its own 28ha (70 acres) of vineyards in the Rioja Alta zone, and all the wines are fermented and aged in French oak vats. The range comprises traditionally-styled Reserva and Gran Reserva red wines, plus the 'Real de Asúa' cuvée made from the best plots of vines. The Imperial label began in 1920 as an export brand for the UK, and is named for its initial bottling in Imperial pints.

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