CUNE (CVNE) IMPERIAL RESERVA RIOJA 2019

Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana (C.V.N.E.) is known colloquially to most Spanish wine drinkers as Cune. The company was founded in 1879 by the Real de Asua brothers and still remains in control of their direct descendants. In the 1920s ownership started Vina Real label.

Balancing the modern and classical in Rioja red, this special Reserva has had two years in oak and two more in bottle. But bright-fruit remains along with complexity, savouriness, and a tannin/oak structure to age further. Heaps of everything and not too much of anything, this perfection is why the big brother Gran Reserva of this wine was #1 in the world from Wine spectator in 2013.

95/100 Zekun Shuai, JamesSuckling.com (2019 Vintage)
"A precise, layered nose that shows excellent purity despite some sweet oak spices. More berry fruit comes out as you give it some time in the glass. Plums, cherries, red berries with dark mushrooms, cured meat, grilled spices, stones, vanilla and iodine. Juicy, spiced berries quickly tighten up on the medium- to full-bodied palate with dusty, powerful tannins, allowing it to expand into the finish. It grows on the palate and the creaminess is already chiselled. This will age beautifully in the next 10-15 years. Drinkable now, but better from 2026."

Joaquin Hildalgo, Vinous (2019 Vintage)
"The 2019 Reserva Imperial is a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha, 5% Graciano, and 5% Mazuelo sourced from Villalba, Briones and Torremontalbo in Rioja Alta. Aged for 24 months in a combination of French (70%) and American (30%) oak barrels, this dark garnet wine reveals enticing aromas of blackberry and ripe plums from the Tempranillo, complemented by hints of hops and herbs from the other varieties. Dry, intense and juicy on the palate, it offers a fairly chalky and energetic mouthfeel. This is a classic Rioja with a nod to fruit-forwardness."