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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 87.7 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 56 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by PierreBrusso on 7/5/2023 & rated 90 points: Rich and smooth (255 views) | | | Tasted by Schönibert on 6/25/2022: Supergut! Bei Cune immer zehn Jahre warten! (471 views) | | | Tasted by Schönibert on 3/24/2022: Sehr gut, trinken! (499 views) | | | Tasted by Schönibert on 9/5/2021 & rated 88 points: Ja da geht was, heute zu Ton Bul Döner, kann gut mit der Schärfe und dem Orient. Denke, wird an der Luft noch zulegen. Ran an die Flaschen. (755 views) | | | Tasted by Fridtjov on 7/25/2021 & rated 87 points: Garnet. Faint plum and prune, into vanilla. Nice aging notes of tobacco and well integrated tanins. Lacks some freshness and top fruit (849 views) | | | Tasted by Schönibert on 3/27/2021 & rated 88 points: Anfangs noch zu, dann kommen sie, schwarze Früchte, Tanin spielt gut auf, alles aber schon gut ausgewogen. Wär besser zum fetten Steak als zur Pizza. (820 views) | | | Tasted by Adamb2 on 3/16/2020: Still pretty nice. (1204 views) | | | Tasted by Schönibert on 1/11/2020: Flasche in besserer Form. (1061 views) | | | Tasted by Schönibert on 10/6/2019: Sauber, straight, ohne weitere Attraktivität und echt kurz. Zu. Liegen lassen, der kommt zurück. (1027 views) | | | Tasted by Schönibert on 2/16/2019: Etwas rauchig mit roter Frucht, absolut solider Steakwein. Zur Pinsa mit schwarzen Oliven drauf wars allerdings kein ganz perfekter Match. (1407 views) | | | Tasted by TACAMA on 10/10/2018 & rated 87 points: DRINK UP!
Nice Rioja's nose... But extremely light & empty body
Past its peak (1609 views) | | | Tasted by WineTally on 9/2/2017: 85% Tempranillo, 10 Graciano, 5% Mazuelo.
24 moths in cask + 36 moths in bottle。
A(ccuracy)=2: Med ruby. Perfume and coconut.
B(alance) =3: Understated and edgeless.
C(omplexity)=2: Red berries, herbs and tea.
D(epth) = 1: Firm but short.
Wine Tally Score [2,3,2,1] = 8/10
A "scaled down" rendition of classic style Rioja. With sufficient aging may turn into wonderful structure with little fruit BUT perfect match with honey-lacquered Chinese delicacies like roast squab!
[https://www.facebook.com/WineTally/] (2928 views) | | | Tasted by rmcnees on 4/1/2017 & rated 90 points: Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, well balanced acidic backbone, smooth and polished, nicely integrated oak flavors predominate, forward dark berry fruits and soft floral accentuate the classic Rioja smoky creosote with hints of vanilla on a lingering finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/04/cune-rioja-reserva-2010.html (3654 views) | | | Tasted by mysterycooper on 10/26/2016: Given that someone here has stated that this wine doesn't have too much oak, maybe I had a slightly flawed bottle because mine tasted like I was sucking wine from the end of a plank of oak. Smell or taste, I just couldn't get past the wood. Unpleasant. (4685 views) | | | Tasted by seanwindsor on 5/22/2016 & rated 85 points: Though CVNE's Imperial Rioja is indeed a top wine (and I am looking forward to drinking my 2007 vintage), I was disappointed in this wine. For a bit more in price, you can get a Muga. Perhaps the ratings are based more on the vineyard in general than this specific wine. (5006 views) | | | Tasted by Geoffreyjpost@icloud.com on 4/17/2016: Good solid rioja (5003 views) | | | Tasted by jps3@columbia.edu on 4/15/2016 & rated 86 points: Bordering on cloying especially on second day. Not a bad wine if drunk on first day but not very complex. A bit of a dissapointment. (3605 views) | | | Tasted by vespasian on 2/12/2016: Treacley/caramel oak element on the nose. Spice and dark fruits; quite smooth, nice texture. Not too oak dominated. A bit bland/dumb - playing it safe. (3228 views) | | | Tasted by pg_kolossi on 1/27/2016 & rated 88 points: One of popular Rioja wineries; Reserva is the premium label, classic Rioja veriety: Tempranillo: 85% Grenacha, Graciano and Mazuelo: 15%; kept in oak cask 18 moths and then aging in bottle 24 moths. Tasting: intense ruby red, rich full round wine, begins with red ripe fruits aromas, mouth as expected, warm, smoaky dark red fruit,spices and woody, vanilla, yummy, complex and long finish; overall full bodied alc. 13,5 %, great wine, matching for all good from Rioja Reserva wine; price ard 10-15 euro (1533 views) | | | Tasted by Barolo Drunkard on 1/21/2016 & rated 92 points: This wine is really like a blueberry pie, with a nob of quality cream, and some christmas spices turned into liquid (and I mean this in a good way).
Warm nose of oak, cream, aniseed, cumin, ripe dark berries; really like a freshly backed blueberry pie.
Sweetish and silky smooth on the palate. Full bodied. Surprisingly fresh and pure fruit, not too jammy at all, I´m quite impressed. Good acidic backbone and medium tannins. Boysenberries, blueberries, even some strawberries. In the finish the oak and vanilla custard kick`s in a bit more. Quite long, a bit ashy and maybe even earthy aftertaste. Delish. Not too oaky or jammy.
Always a reliable go-to Rioja, and a great value.
90-92 (1794 views) | | | Tasted by Mhubbard on 11/15/2015 & rated 88 points: Definitely more traditional Rioja that's more rustic with earthy woody notes. Medium bodied, well balanced and tasty. Though not a ton of complexity or discernible notes. (1763 views) | | | Tasted by AHVinoFile on 10/29/2015 & rated 88 points: [PWS' CVNE W Dinner at Bellota, Melbourne] Deep dark color, purple tone. Ripe blackberry black raspberry bouquet with a touch of earth, purple flowers, blackcurrant, black cherry, licorice, tobacco & spice. Medium plus bodied, intense but not very deep, tight black & red fruits sequestered by fair amount of assertive tannins, chalky extracts & fine acidity; Lean & dry mid palate needs time to flesh out. Quite long, tannic finish. (88+) (1042 views) | | | Tasted by admid on 8/2/2015 & rated 90 points: Ap: dark purple red
Ar: dark sweet berries, spices. Clean with good intensity
Medium bodied and good balance.
Medium to good length
50+4+11+17+8
In this case I agree with Robert Parker and Stephen Tanzer; this is a well done wine to an amazing price. Drinkable at this age, even for me. (2068 views) | | | Tasted by Timbalimba on 7/17/2015 & rated 88 points: Starts off with quite a bit of dark plum fruit, American oak, malo. After 5 hours it becomes sinewy and more classic, with red fruit, tobacco, herbs. All in all it's a decent tipple but far from deserving the Parker wet dreams of 91 points. It's a modern style Rioja with typical signs of Parkerised aromas initially, but then settles down to become more true to itself. Compared to its peers, however, it represents poor value. (1980 views) | | | Tasted by pavel_p on 6/22/2015 & rated 89 points: Fairly dark garnet to the rim, dark fruit, some oak, tannins well integrated, short to medium finish. Agree with some of the previous tasting notes that one could mistake this for a (Haut) Medoc but the fruit is a bit sweeter here. Good but not something I would seek out. 89-90 (2389 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Producer website
U.S. Importer (add'l info)
alternate U.S. Importer (add'l info)Tempranillo BlendTempranillo is the backbone of wines made ihvhhcn the best well-known Spanish regions Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but is also grown as far afield as Mexico and Australia.
As a flavor profile, red fruits like strawberries and cherries can predominate - but with a rustic edge. The Many wines made from Tempranillo will spend a few years in barrel and bottle before reaching the consumers . Many Tempranillo-based wines see a few years of oak - add that to a few years of bottle and the wine can give a subtle - and occasionaly not-so-subtle - leathery mouthfeel. The combination of the tart fruit and tannins make this wine very food friendly.Spain Vinos de España - Wines of Spain (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) | Wikipedia
Wine Map on weinlagen-info
Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world, occupying the majority of the Iberian Peninsula with vast diversity in climate, culture, and of course, wine. From inky, dark reds of the [Priorat] to dry, white Finos from Andalusia, Spain can easily boast of elaborating a wide variety of notable styles. Within Spain there are currently 62 demarcated wine regions, of which a handful have gained international recognition: [Rioja], Priorat and [Ribera del Duero]. Yet these regions are only a small sample of the high quality wines Spain produces. Regions such as Cava, Penedes, Somontano, Galicia, Rueda and Jerez are only a few of the numerous regions worthy of exploration throughout Spain. Spain can also lay claim to having the most land under vine in the world, growing up to, by some accounts, 600 indigenous varietals of which Tempranillo is their most well known. Other popular varietals include [Garnacha], Bobal and Monastrell for reds and for whites; the infamous [sic] Palomino Fino grape which is used in the production of sherry wine, Pedro Ximenez in Montilla Morilles, Albarino used in the creation of the bright, effervescent wines of Galicia, and Verdejo in Rueda. - Source: - Catavino.net
Spain is not in the forefront of winemaking for its dessert wines, other than for its sweet wines from Sherry country including the highly revered Olorosos (when sweetened). But apart from Sherry Spain has a range of styles of dessert wines, ranging from the those made from the Pedro Ximenez grape primarily in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles) to luscious, red dessert wines made in the Mediterranean from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape. Some good Moscatels are made in Mallorca, Alicante and Navarre. The northwest corner of Spain, Galicia, with its bitter Atlantic climate, is even making dessert wines, called “Tostadillos” in the village of Ribadivia (similar to France’s “Vin de Paille”). The Canary Islands have made interesting dessert wines for centuries (they are mentioned by Shakespeare, for example) and in recent years the quality of winemaking has been improved and the Canary Islands wines are being better marketed now. The winemaking styles for “Vinos Dulces” are also diverse, from “Late Harvest” (Vendimia Tardía) to “Fortified Wines” (Fermentación Parcial). Based on in-spain.info.La Rioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
Map on weinlagen-infoLa Rioja Alta Map on weinlagen-infoRioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
HISTORY
The wine region of La Rioja in Spain was first demarcated by the area's governing body, the Consejo Regulador, in 1926. The region extends for approximately 120 kilometres along both sides of the Ebro River and is, at its widest point, bounded by mountains on either side. In fact, the word 'Rioja' is a derivation of the two words 'Rio' (River) and 'Oja (the name of a tributary of the Ebro that runs right through La Rioja creating a series of microclimates and providing much needed water for the vines).
La Rioja has always been a vital part of Spain's history. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors, and finally, medieval Crusaders have all played a part in the area's history. The Romans, however, made wine a part of their culture wherever they travelled, and La Rioja was no exception. Ancient sites of Roman wineries still exist in and around the area today.
After the Romans came the Moors, and winemaking all but ceased. It wasn't until after the famous 'El Cid' liberated Spain, and medieval Christianity brought trade via the Crusaders through the region, that it flourished again. The Benedictine monks of Cluny in Burgundy, known for their viticulture, helped to establish three monasteries in the area. The vines they planted were mostly white grapes. In the fourteenth century, English traders acquired a taste for a local Rioja wine, which was a blend of white and red wines called Blancos Pardillos. Over time, development of lighter reds came about satisfying eighteenth century English and French courts.
The real improvements to Rioja's viticulture began around 1780 when the need to prolong wine during transport brought about experimentation with different woods and preservatives. Studies were made of the techniques used by great chateaux in Bordeaux. With the outbreak of the Peninsular War, progress was halted until 1852, when the Bordelais came south to Rioja seeking vines because their vineyards had been blighted with oidium. French winemaking methods were eagerly taken up by great rivals the Marques de Murrieta and Marques de Riscal (who both claim to have been the first in Rioja to make wine in the Bordeaux fashion).
When phylloxera devastated Bordeaux in the 1870s and the French influence really took hold in Rioja, many of the region's finest bodegas started production on what we now consider as the great wines of Rioja. It’s important to remember that Bordeaux winemaking methods then were very different to those employed today in France, and involved long ageing in barrel, a factor that the Riojans took up enthusiastically. So enthusiastically in fact that to this day there are a number of Bodegas that still make their wine in a surprisingly similar fashion to that of the Bordelais in the later part of the 1800s and this also explains why oak ageing is such an important part of Riojan winemaking.
USE OF OAK
Pronounced vanilla flavours in the wines are a trademark of the region though some modern winemakers are experimenting with making wines less influenced by oak. Originally French oak was used but as the cost of the barrels increased many bodegas began to buy American oak planks and fashion them into barrels at Spanish cooperages in a style more closely resembling the French method. This included hand splitting the wood, rather than sawing, and allowing the planks time to dry and 'season' in the outdoors versus drying in the kiln. In recent times, more bodegas have begun using French oak and many will age wines in both American and French oak for blending purposes.
In the past, it was not uncommon for some bodegas to age their red wines for 15-20 years or even more before their release. One notable example of this is Marqués de Murrieta which released its 1942 vintage Gran Reserva in 1983 after 41 years of ageing. Today most bodegas have shifted their winemaking focus to wines that are ready to drink sooner with the top wines typically ageing for 4-8 years prior to release though some traditionalists still age longer. The typical bodega owns anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 oak barrels.
The use of oak in white wine has declined significantly in recent times when before the norm was traditionally 2-5 years in oak. This created slightly oxidised wines with flavours of caramel, coffee, and roasted nuts that did not appeal to a large market of consumers. Today the focus of white winemakers has been to enhance the vibrancy and fruit flavours of the wine.
WINE CLASSIFICATION
Most Riojan Bodegas believe that the ageing of a wine should be the responsibility of the producer rather than that of the consumer, and this is why much Rioja is more mature than wines from other countries. Rioja red wines are classified into four categories. The first, simply labelled 'Rioja', or 'Sin Crianza' (meaning 'without ageing') is the youngest, spending less than a year in oak. A "Crianza" is wine aged for at least two years, at least one of which is in oak. 'Reserva' is aged for at least three years, of which at least one year is in oak. Finally, 'Gran Reserva' wines have been aged at least two years in oak and three years in bottle. Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are not necessarily produced each year. Also produced are wines in a semi-crianza style, those that have had a couple of months of oak influence but not enough to be called a full crianza. The designation of Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva might not always appear on the front label but may appear on a neck or back label in the form of a stamp designation known as Consejo.
SUB REGIONS
Rioja Alta
Located on the western edge of the region, and at higher elevations than the other areas, the Rioja Alta is known for more fruity and concentrated wines which can have very smooth texture and mouth feel.
Rioja Alavesa
Despite sharing a similar climate as the Alta region, the Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller body and higher acidity. Vineyards in the area have a low vine density with large spacing between rows. This is due to the relatively poor conditions of the soil with the vines needing more distance from each other and less competition for the nutrients in the surrounding soil.
Rioja Baja
Unlike the more continental climate of the Alta and Alavesa, the Rioja Baja is strongly influenced by a Mediterranean climate which makes this area the warmest and driest of the Rioja. In the summer months, drought can be a significant viticultural hazard, though since the late 1990s irrigation has been permitted. Temperatures in the summer typically reach 95°F. Twenty percent of the vineyards actually fall within the Navarra appellation but the wine produced from the grapes is still allowed to claim the Rioja designation. The predominant grape here is the Garnacha which prefers the hot conditions, unlike the more aromatic Tempranillo. Consequently Baja wines are very deeply coloured and can be highly alcoholic with some wines at 18% alcohol by volume. The wines typically do not have much acidity or aroma and are generally used as blending components with wines from other parts of
the Rioja.
The Riojans are master blenders (as they have to be because there are relatively few single estates in the area, the norm being to blend from a wide variety of vineyards and wine areas). Consequently they are able to reduce vintage variation by careful blending and many of the best wines vary relatively little between vintages.
VITICULTURE & GRAPES
Rioja wines are normally a blend of various grape varieties, and can be either red (tinto), white (blanco) or rosé (rosado). Rioja has a total of 57,000 hectares cultivated, yielding 250 million litres of wine annually, of which 85% is red. The harvest time for most Rioja vineyards is September-October with the northern Rioja Alta having the latest harvest in late October. The soil here is clay-based with a high concentration of chalk and iron (which provides the redness in the soil that may be responsible for the region's name, Rioja, meaning red). There is also significant concentration of limestone, sandstone and alluvial silt.
Among the Tintos, the best-known and most widely-used variety is Tempranillo. Other grapes used include Garnacha Tinta, Graciano, and Mazuelo. A typical blend will consist of approximately 60% Tempranillo and up to 20% Garnacha, with much smaller proportions of Mazuelo and Graciano. Each grape adds a unique component to the wine with Tempranillo contributing the main flavours and ageing potential to the wine; Garnacha adding body and alcohol; Mazuelo adding seasoning flavours and Graciano adding additional aromas.
With Rioja Blanco, Viura is the prominent grape (also known as Macabeo) and is sometimes blended with some Malvesia and Garnacha Blanca. In the white wines the Viura contributes mild fruitness, acidity and some aroma to the blend with Garnacha Blanca adding body and Malvasia adding aroma. Rosados are mostly derived from Garnacha grapes. The 'international varieties' of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have gained some attention and use through experimental plantings by some bodegas but their use has created wines distinctly different from the typical Rioja.
Some of the most sought after grapes come from the limestone/sandstone based 'old vine' vineyards in the Alavesa and Alta regions. These 40 year old plus vines are prized due to their low yields and more concentrated flavours. A unique DO regulation stipulates that the cost of the grapes used to make Rioja must exceed by at least 200% the national average of wine grapes used in all Spanish wines.
VINTAGE CHART
Rioja (Red) Year %
2004 Superb vintage, classic wines Drink or Hold 94
2003 Hot, dry year, long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 91
2002 Smallest vintage in 10 years. Variable quality.
Keep to top names Drink or Hold 87
2001 Excellent year for long ageing Reservas
and Gran Reservas Drink or Hold 94
2000 A generally good vintage with fine Reservas Drink or Hold 89
1999 Smaller vintage of good quality Drink or Hold 88
1998 Good vintage Drink or Hold 97
1997 Unexciting so far, but quaffable Drink or Hold 84
1996 Good year, plenty of ageing potential Drink or Hold 89
1995 Very good vintage, Reservas now showing excellent fruit Drink or Hold 92
1994 Outstanding, some great long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 94
1993 Lesser wines, apart from best-known names Drink 77
1992 Rather light vintage Drink 80
1991 Still improving, average quality Drink or Hold 85
1990 Fairly ordinary but quaffable Drink 84
1989 Good, firm structure Drink 88
Rioja Reserva & Gran Reserva – Vintages of the Eighties Year %
1989 Goodish vintage, well balanced Drink 88
1988 Fairly good vintage, well balanced wines Drink 88
1987 Very attractive vintage, now at peak Drink 90
1986 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1985 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1984 Disappointing, with problem weather Avoid 80
1983 Don't keep it any longer Drink 86
1982 Now past its best Drink 83
1981 Superb wines, finest will keep longer Drink 90
1980 Average vintage, don't keep any longer Drink 86
More vintage charts
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