2019 Imperial Reserva
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Tasting notes
85% Tempranillo, with the remaining 15% made up of Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacha. Vineyards located in Briones, Villalba and Torremontalbo. Hand-harvested followed by careful selection on sorting tables. Fermentation takes place in oak vats of 80, 120 and 160 hl, with a 20-day maceration on the skins. The wine is aged for 24 months in a combination of French (70%) and American oak (30%). Tasted blind. A complete and highly appealing wine, offering generous flavours of both black and red fruit in good concentration. The tannins are remarkably smooth and beautifully integrated, giving a supple and chalky but polished mouthfeel. The mid palate is driven by cedar and coffee notes. A classic Rioja, showing great expressiveness and balance. One of those dependable greats that never disappoints and always brings a special moment to the table. Well done, CVNE. (FC)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The Imperial wines are meant to reflect Rioja tradition as remodernized classic wines that can be aged a long time. As part of that, the 2019 Imperial Reserva gets a high percentage of French oak (60%) and more new. Drinking well now, it’s quite full-bodied and powerful in ripe black fruit cradled in firm tannins benefiting from balanced acidity that helps temper the intensity. Age another 15-20 years.
The 2019 Imperial Reserva was cropped from a very healthy year with good ripeness and balance, a powerful vintage with a 185-day vegetative cycle. They look for finesse, precision and power, a blend of Tempranillo and 15% Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha put through optical sorting and fermented in oak vats with yeasts selected from the Imperial vineyards and a 20-day maceration, then it matured in barrels, 70% French and the rest American, for 24 months. It has 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.61. It feels very classical, with finesse and power, balanced and serious. It has tannins that call for food. 150,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2022.
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.
About the producer
CVNE, or Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España (the Northern Spanish Wine Company), is one of Rioja’s leading names. With its various brands – Cune, Viña Real, Contino and Imperial – CVNE produces both large volumes and high quality, with its Imperial Gran Reserva one of the region’s finest wines.