CVNE Gran Reserva Riojas
New allocations & latest release from CVNE: 2016 Imperial & 2015 Corona Blanco Gran Reservas
We first offered you CVNE's 2016 Imperial Gran Reserva last autumn and we are very pleased to have secured a limited further allocation, particularly of the large formats. Alongside the Imperial, we offer a new release from CVNE, the 2015 Corona Blanco Gran Reserva.
2015 CVNE Corona Rioja Gran Reserva Blanco
Corona is a revival of a wine with a long history: First made at the end of the nineteenth century, it is a semi-sweet white wine with a touch of botrytis influence. Some forgotten barrels of the 1939 vintage were discovered at the winery in the 70s. The Wine Advocate's Luis Gutiérrez tasted the '39 in 2015 and awarded it 100 points, distinguishing it as the first Spanish white wine to receive a perfect score.
Inspired by this to revive Corona, CVNE selected Viura grapes from the 2 ha 'Salceda' vineyards, a plot often affected by botrytis due to evening mists. After fermentation, the wine has around 33g/l of residual sugar (a similar level, for instance, to a 'Moelleux' Vouvray).
Seven years after the vintage Gutiérrez describes the 2015 Corona as having a mellow quality, with notes of mushroom, spice and perfumed peach fruit. Like the '39, this will age for many decades and, even on release, it scores 95 points. Just 1500 bottles were made, so rarity alone may give this long-term investment potential.
2016 CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva
"One of the greatest modern gran reservas...98 points." - James Suckling
CVNE's Imperial Gran Reserva is the epitome of the powerful, full-bodied style for which Rioja is famous. Only produced in outstanding years, the 2016 release of Imperial is an excellent vintage and scores 98 points from James Suckling. At just £240 per six bottles in bond, this release offers great value.
CVNE was established in the famous 'Barrio de la Estación' (Station District) of Haro in Rioja Alta in 1879, just a few hundred metres from the bodega of La Rioja Alta. Short for Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España, the labels for the inaugural vintage were mis-spelt 'CUNE' and the bodega's name has been pronounced 'Coo-nay' ever since.
Imperial itself was first produced in the 1920s (originally bottled in 'Imperial pint' sized bottles, hence the name) and is made from the CVNE's best plots in the Rioja Alta, at 550-650m altitude. The blend for the 2016 is 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, from 40 year-old, low-yielding bush-trained vines on clay soils.
2016 was a late harvest, following a dry summer, giving very high levels of phenolic (flavour) ripeness. With a full 24 months in French and American oak barrels and 36 months in bottle, the power is balanced by precise, defined fruit and mineral notes.
After six years of maturation, the Gran Reserva is developing in a lovely, classical direction, with the vanilla-scented American oak aromas integrating beautifully with the fruit. Despite obvious power, there's all the balance of refinement we have seen elsewhere in this vintage. This is certainly one of our favourite releases of this wine.
Please simply e-mail us if you would like to order either wine.
Offered pre-landing, expected March 2023.
| RED | 2015 | 1 case | CVNE - Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja | Magnum | £225 per case of 3 | CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja 2015 / 1 case / Magnum £225 per case of 3 |
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| RED | 2015 | 5 cases | CVNE - Viña Real Gran Reserva Rioja | 75cl | £220 per case of 12 | CVNE Viña Real Gran Reserva Rioja 2015 / 5 cases / 75cl £220 per case of 12 |
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Tasting Notes“Glass-staining ruby. A highly complex bouquet features ripe red berry, cherry liqueur, cured tobacco and mocha scents, and a smoky mineral nuance and a hint of white pepper add urgency. Sweet, mineral-driven blackberry, cherry-vanilla, chewing tobacco and candied rose flavors show impressive depth as well as energy. Blends power and finesse with a steady hand and finishes chewy, sweet and impressively long, with youthfully gripping tannins adding framework. 94 points." Josh Raynolds, Vinous, Apr ‘21------“Fantastic aromas of cappuccino and orange with dark berries. Full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that are layered and wonderfully polished. The wine has wonderful depth and complexity, as well as super structure. Great Viña Real. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years. Will age beautifully. 96 points." James Suckling, Sep ‘21 |
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| RED | 2016 | 3 bottles | CVNE - Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja | Double Magnums | £200 per bottle | CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja 2016 / 3 bottles / Double Magnums £200 per bottle |
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| RED | 2016 | 10 cases | CVNE - Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja | 75cl | £240 per case of 6 | CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja 2016 / 10 cases / 75cl £240 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes“The classical 2016 Imperial Gran Reserva was produced with a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo from grapes that were picked between October 10 and 25 with good ripeness, delivering a wine with 14.5% alcohol after fermenting in small oak vats followed by malolactic in concrete and two years in barrel and three in bottle. I was quite surprised, because the wine was quite closed and needed energetic swirling and time in the glass to reveal its true colors. It has more stuffing and finesse than the reserva. 2016 was a very good vintage, with freshness and balance to develop nicely in bottle. The tannins are very fine, and the wine is tasty and long. 50,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2019. 95 points”. Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate, Jul '22------"Polished and structured with firm, very fine tannins. Lots going on here, with layers of black fruit, dried spices, graphite, coconut and cracked pepper. Full-bodied and so intense. Keeps going. Long. The tannins are so fine and so numerous. One of the greatest modern gran reservas. 85% tempranillo, 10% graciano and 5% mazuelo. Try in 2025. 98 points." James Suckling, May '22 |
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| RED | 2016 | 5 cases | CVNE - Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja | Magnum | £250 per case of 3 | CVNE Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja 2016 / 5 cases / Magnum £250 per case of 3 |
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| RED | 2016 | 5 bottles | CVNE - Viña Real Gran Reserva Rioja | Double Magnums | £130 per bottle | CVNE Viña Real Gran Reserva Rioja 2016 / 5 bottles / Double Magnums £130 per bottle |
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Tasting Notes“The extremely affordable 2016 Viña Real Gran Reserva Especial recovers the "Especial" mention from the old Reserva Especial vintages from a very good year. It's a classical Rioja Alavesa blend of 95% Tempranillo with 5% Graciano from their own vineyards. It's open and expressive, with notes of berries, fresh blood and iron, orange peel and sweet spices with the oak still present and in need of some more time in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied and feels lean and serious, with abundant chalky tannins. This should be a classical vintage of this wine in the making. It matured in barrel for two years and no less than three in bottle. 30,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2019. 95 points." points" Luis Gutiérrez, RobertParker.com, July '22------“Attractive nose of dark cherries, dill, thyme, coconut and chocolate. Some salted caramel, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, silky tannins and vibrant acidity. So balanced and fresh with a long, refined finish. 95% tempranillo and 5% graciano. Better from 2024. 95 points." James Suckling, Sep ‘22 |
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| RED | 2016 | 2 bottles | CVNE - Viña Real Gran Reserva Rioja | Jeroboam | £220 per bottle | CVNE Viña Real Gran Reserva Rioja 2016 / 2 bottles / Jeroboam £220 per bottle |
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| RED | 2016 | 10 cases | CVNE - Viña Real Gran Reserva Rioja | 75cl | £260 per case of 12 | CVNE Viña Real Gran Reserva Rioja 2016 / 10 cases / 75cl £260 per case of 12 |
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Tasting Notes“The extremely affordable 2016 Viña Real Gran Reserva Especial recovers the "Especial" mention from the old Reserva Especial vintages from a very good year. It's a classical Rioja Alavesa blend of 95% Tempranillo with 5% Graciano from their own vineyards. It's open and expressive, with notes of berries, fresh blood and iron, orange peel and sweet spices with the oak still present and in need of some more time in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied and feels lean and serious, with abundant chalky tannins. This should be a classical vintage of this wine in the making. It matured in barrel for two years and no less than three in bottle. 30,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2019. 95 points." points" Luis Gutiérrez, RobertParker.com, July '22------“Attractive nose of dark cherries, dill, thyme, coconut and chocolate. Some salted caramel, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, silky tannins and vibrant acidity. So balanced and fresh with a long, refined finish. 95% tempranillo and 5% graciano. Better from 2024. 95 points." James Suckling, Sep ‘22 |
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| RED | 2020 | 5 cases | CVNE - Real De Asúa Rioja | 75cl | £299 per case of 6 | CVNE Real De Asúa Rioja 2020 / 5 cases / 75cl £299 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The second year on the Place for this excellent wine from Real de Asúa, from a 2.37ha plot of 30 year old Tempranillo vines sat at 550m altitude in the village of Villalba. This was a slightly cooler vintage than 2019 and you'll find plentiful floral aromatics, violets, crushed roses and tomato leaf, with juicy raspberry fruits, supple tannins, gentle liqourice root and clove spice, all delivered with attractive weight through the mid-palate. These are wines that taste great young, but can age for a good 10 to 15 years without a problem 40hl/h yield, 80% new oak, wild yeast ferment. 3.6ph, 95IPT. To be released in September. 94 points." Jane Anson, Feb '23------“Such purity and clarity to the wine with blackberries, blackcurrants, violets and orange peel. Medium to full body and fine tannins. Polished, bright, vivid and agile. Powdery tannins with wonderful length and finesse. Savory, too. Give it three to four years of bottle age. 97 points." James Suckling, Apr '23 |
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