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CVNE : Imperial Gran Reserva 2019

La Rioja

Rioja

- Red - See details

Parker | 95

$760.00 Incl. GST & DP

(

$126.67 / Unit

)

Packaging : a case of 6 Bottles (75cl)

1 x 75CL

$129.70

6 x 75CL

$760.00

Pre-arrivals - Stock in France

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ALL VINTAGES OF THIS WINE

2018

All CVNE wines

Marks and reviews

/100

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Luis Gutiérrez

2019 was a warm and classical year of healthy grapes, and the 2019 Imperial Gran Reserva is a powerful version only produced in exceptional years. Produced with a blend of Tempranillo with 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, it fermented in oak vats with their own selected yeasts, and the wine matured for two years in new and used barriques, 80% of them French and the rest American. It has a classical nose, with notes of dry leaves, truffle, cigar ash and dark spices and a touch of iodine and earth. It comes in at 14% alcohol, with a pH of 3.63 and 5.67 grams of acidity. It's harmonious and balanced, with elegant, polished and sleek tannins. 56,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2022.

/20

Jancis Robinson

Andy Howard MW

85% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, Mazuelo, Garnacha. Aged for 24 months. Winemaker Maria Larrea. Vegan. Available in 606 stores. Labelled bottle number 661,5511! Shows just how big this brand actually is … … but the quality is, as nearly always, impeccable. Imperial Rioja 2019 combines ripeness of fruit, weighty dark-red fruits on the palate, lifted floral notes and warming yet subtle oak, with fine tannins and spot-on acidity. Very smooth on the palate. (AWH)

/100

Vinous

Joaquín Hidalgo

The 2019 Gran Reserva Imperial is a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. Following malolactic fermentation in concrete vats, it aged for two years in 225-liter French (70%) and American (30%) oak barrels—both new and second use. It underwent rackings every eight months, before extended aging in century-old cellars. This opens with ripe black fruit and plum aromas, framed by well-integrated oak and subtle herbal notes. It displays a delicate style in the mouth, with fine, chalky tannins and a hint of dried herbs on the finish. The 2019 is a refined, flavorful red in a thoroughly classic Rioja tone.

Description

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Imperial Gran Reserva 2019 by CVNE

Tasting Notes

Colour

This red wine reveals a deep, dense hue, characteristic of great age-worthy wines crafted from ripe grapes from a warm vintage.

Nose

The nose opens with a powerful core of ripe dark fruit (blackcurrant, blackberry, plum) intertwined with notes of liquorice, clove and cigar leaf. Herbal nuances of dried thyme and rosemary complete this palette, while more tertiary touches of truffle, cigar ash, dark spices, iodine and damp earth hint at an emerging aromatic complexity. The wine gradually blossoms with aeration, also revealing notes of grilled meat juices.

Palate

On the palate, this Rioja is both powerful and delicate, carried by fine, chalky tannins that are elegant and polished. The balance between the fruit, the well-integrated oak and the subtle herbal touches gives the wine a coherent structure, supported by a lively acidity that brings freshness and length. Sensations of grilled meat juices and damp earth add an umami dimension, extended by a long finish resting on a solid acidic backbone.

Food and Wine Pairing

Imperial Gran Reserva 2019 is an ideal companion to roasted meats and game, notably lamb roasted over vine cuttings, large cuts of braised beef or roast partridge. It also pairs very well with aged and smoked cheeses, such as the Basque cheese Idiazabal, whose texture and smoky notes echo the wine's tannic structure.

Serving and Cellaring

We recommend decanting Imperial Gran Reserva 2019 before serving to fully reveal its aromatic complexity. This wine can be enjoyed now but will continue to evolve over the coming years.

The Finesse and Structure of a Rioja Gran Reserva by CVNE

The Estate

CVNE (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) was founded in 1879 in Haro, in La Rioja, by the Real de Asúa brothers. This family-owned house, which has remained in the hands of the same family for five generations, is now run by Víctor Urrutia, CEO and owner, alongside his sister María Urrutia, who is in charge of marketing. Renowned for its technical innovations and its commitment to sustainability, this Spanish estate has grown over the decades while remaining true to its historic roots in the Barrio de la Estación.

The Vineyard

Imperial Gran Reserva 2019 comes from carefully selected vineyards in the Rioja region, where CVNE strives to make the most of the potential of quality plots close to its historic winery. This location offers exposure conducive to balanced ripeness, which is essential for crafting a wine with great ageing potential.

The Vintage

The 2019 vintage is described as warm and classic, yielding healthy grapes. These favourable conditions gave rise to a powerful wine with high ripeness yet no sanitary deterioration, ideally suited to the making of a Gran Reserva.

Winemaking and Ageing

Imperial Gran Reserva 2019 is fermented in oak vats using selected yeasts specific to the bodega, followed by malolactic fermentation in concrete tanks. The wine is then aged in oak barrels, in accordance with the requirements of the Gran Reserva classification. It subsequently undergoes a long ageing in bottle in the bodega's centuries-old cellars before release.

Grape Varieties

This blend is mainly composed of Tempranillo, complemented by Graciano and Mazuelo, a classic combination that gives the wine its structure, freshness and aromatic complexity.