1964 Vina Real Reserva Especial
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Tasting notes
Deemed by many "the vintage of the century," the 1964 growing season saw perfect conditions, exactly 200 days of vegetative cycle and the 1964 Viña Real was granted the Reserva Especial category by CVNE. The parameters were also textbook: 13. 42% alcohol and bottled in June 1969. 1964 was a leap year, and the Winter Olympics were held in Innsbruck, Austria. Cassius Clay, later Muhammad Ali, was crowned heavyweight champion of the world, the first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line at the Ford Motor Company, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor marry (for the first time) in Montreal and Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. It was back then when Beatlemania arrived in the U.S.and Bob Dylan released "Times, They Are a-Changin'." The top-selling films of the year were "Goldfinger," "Mary Poppins" and "My Fair Lady." I'm sure there are more, but Dirk Niepoort and Álvaro Palacios were born that year, so a good crop for winemakers! There was some discussion about the 1964 Viña Real Reserva Especial, which is normal when a famous vintage is uncorked and expectations are so high; more often than not they cannot be fulfilled. However, for me this was still great bottle of 1964, powerful and expressive, still showing some fruit (a mixture of red and black berries) with plenty of spicy and tertiary notes, underbrush, truffles, mushrooms, polished but still with some clout. Quite complex, but not the best bottle of 1964 I've had. The track record is there, and the good bottles should have a long life ahead. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030.
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Jancis Robinson MW
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
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We taste from two half bottles. What was deemed 'the vintage of the century' is getting scarce, as demand keeps steady. It was a huge vintage for Rioja, 35% larger than the average. The vegetative cycle, the weather and the rain were in line with the average, so nobody is really sure what brought the excellence to the vintage. Viña Real was fermented in cement in Elciego and bottled in September 1969, relatively early for the time. Ash, leather, mushroom. More evolved, with some black olive notes, spicy tomato juice. In the mouth it is monumental. The half bottle evolves faster. A second bottle is a lot fresher within the profile of a warm vintage. I've seen better bottles, even half bottles. (LG)
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.