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| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.2 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 52 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by pdxwinefan on 10/22/2023: 2 hour decant with some extra aerating (back and forth between decanters) added to ensure it opened. Time open is necessary, as the early intense acidity was allowed to integrate. Rich aromas—vanilla, blackberry, tobacco. At first loads of vanilla on the palate, with dark cherry and blackberry. Medium/plus acidity, refined tannins. After a couple more hours some vegetal/green pepper notes emerged. Fun wine. Seems like it will last at least a few more years. (613 views) | | | Tasted by Casablanca77 on 4/1/2021 & rated 92 points: Excellent Rioja Reserva. Solidly built with aromas of cherry, currant, vanilla oak and cloves. This is full-bodied with medium alcohol, medium plus tannins and citrus acidity. The flavors are of blackberry, black cherry and a touch of tobacco. This is very savory and has a nicely balanced finish. (2532 views) | | | Tasted by Frosken on 3/6/2021 & rated 91 points: Vanilje, saftig sødmefull frukt. Til tapas (2559 views) | | | Tasted by Gannet2013 on 2/22/2021: Dark plummy fruit. Ideally needs keeping. Plenty of upside (2641 views) | | | Tasted by johnrm on 10/24/2020 & rated 89 points: Opened, decanted, and left for 4h before serious tasting. Full of juicy red and black berry fruit (redcurrants, blackcurrants) at first with good acidity and plenty of tannin. With time, the fruit veered towards dark cherries. It was very good with a sirloin steak when the acidity and tannin were ideal. After 6+ hours, the nose was opening and showed an almost perfumed fragrance; the palate was richer and sweeter but the tannins and acidity persisted. Raspberry began to emerge later - on nose and palate. I think this is still developing and needs quite a few years yet to show its strengths and quality. Don’t be afraid to wait. (2842 views) | | | Tasted by Holadi on 10/18/2020 & rated 93 points: Deep purple. Intense nose on vanilla ice cream, dark cherries and plums. Mid acid, low tannins, flavors repeat the nose. Intense and long finish. (2225 views) | | | Tasted by MM29 on 5/21/2020 & rated 91 points: Konstant gut wie bisher (1938 views) | | | Tasted by BCFrench1527 on 4/29/2020 & rated 91 points: A hair young, but the acid/tannin balance and explosion of jammy dark fruit means it'll be ready shortly (1802 views) | | | Tasted by bemeyer on 12/28/2019: Drinking nicely. Decant for an hour (2070 views) | | | Tasted by MM29 on 12/13/2019 & rated 92 points: Ein bisschen viel Vanille/Holzeinsatz, aber schön fein zu trinken. Passt ideal zur spanischen Küche. Dieser Wein ist grundsolide in jeder Trinkreife und hat mich noch nie enttäuscht. (1858 views) | | | Tasted by MM29 on 9/16/2019 & rated 91 points: In die Karaffe gestürzt sofort geniessbar. Grundsolide. Kein Powerwein, eher feingliedrig. (2133 views) | | | Tasted by Wulffila on 8/23/2019 & rated 90 points: Quite nice after a couple of hours in the decanter. Balanced, fresh strawberry on the nose. Taste of coffee and chocolate with some pleasant vanilla. I wish all Riojas tasted like this! (1811 views) | | | Tasted by DaleW on 6/12/2019: Needed some air, full black cherry and plum, with vanilla and herby (anise/rosemary/dill green) notes. Pretty nice Rioja straddling between traditional and modern. B+ (2211 views) | | | Tasted by RichardP on 2/27/2019 & rated 92 points: Camphor and strawberry on the nose. On the palate, black cherry, blackberry, and currants, with a strong note of vanilla and a faint note of dill on the medium finish, with moderate tannins and powerful acidity. This is young, but already excellent, with room to improve. It's an excellent value at about $30. The Cellartracker drinking window is much too short; Rioja ages well for an impressively long time. (2393 views) | | | Tasted by appel54 on 2/8/2019 & rated 86 points: Vinröd färg, tät färg
Askopp, rostade fat, körsbär, lite eldig, viol, söta violpistoler, mörk choklad, lakrits, smörkola, dajm
Torrt, strävt, tanninrik, en viss alkohol, medium+ längd, koncentrerad och tät smak (2100 views) | | | Tasted by teaEi on 12/18/2018 & rated 90 points: Ripe fruits, coffee, chocolate, tobacco, wood (2230 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 11/14/2018 & rated 89 points: Monthly Tasting Group HWS #133; Spain, Rioja Reserva (By WW): Green herbs and some bell pepper in the bouquet. On the palate dark berries, vanilla, a firm amount of good vanilla, red and tasty fruits and round tannin. 88 - 89 (2421 views) | | | Tasted by maxima on 10/11/2018 & rated 89 points: Bu hier en succursalle avec Nathalie.
Dense et boisé avec une belle souplesse.
Pas aussi impressonnant que les 2010 et 2004 mais encore jeune.
On reverra dans 5 ans quand le bois aura été
un peu plus assimilé. (2804 views) | | | Tasted by RussK on 9/16/2018 & rated 92 points: Russk Stacole Tasting. Probably my Spanish WOTN. Enjoy it even more than the 2009 Gran Reserva. (2130 views) | | | Tasted by Gannet2013 on 8/17/2018: Too young and a tad raw and unknitted at this stage. Black fruits and oak. Revisit in a couple of years (2142 views) | | | Tasted by tbabes on 8/14/2018 & rated 86 points: Popped and poured; followed over the course of 24 hours. Youthful purple core with no signs of age. Rather foursquare on the nose, offering up primary notes of black fruit and some spicy oak. Full bodied, modern in style; lacking in terms of texture, delineation and depth. Not impressed! (1926 views) | | | Tasted by Gece on 7/30/2018: Bordeaux feel. Cedar, cassis, blackberries. A bit young, even from half bottle. (1933 views) | | | Tasted by DaleW on 6/15/2018: Fuller riper vintage of Imperial, black cherry with some vanillin oak and a anise edge. Some tannic structure, good but a bit much for the pork. Enjoyed by itself later. B+ (2057 views) | | | Tasted by Jeffyboy on 3/31/2018 & rated 90 points: dark ruby with light rim. nose: tart; some blackberries and blueberries; deep with some sweter notes; pleasant. taste: medium (+) acidity; ripe tannins. Lot of blueberries - especially in the long finish. soft, elegant, balanced. (1708 views) | | | Tasted by Double-A on 3/20/2018 & rated 90 points: Dark, ruby colour. Currant, cherry, toast and earthy mineral nose. Bright flavours, structured tannins, long, toasty finish.
4/5 (2205 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Sara d'Amato
WineAlign (4/12/2018)
(Cvne Imperial Reserva, Doca Rioja red) Subscribe to see review text. | By David Lawrason
WineAlign (4/11/2018)
(Cvne Imperial Reserva, Doca Rioja red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Sarah Jane Evans MW
Decanter, Top 30 Spanish wines for everyday drinking (3/2/2018)
(CVNE, Imperial Reserva, Rioja, Northern Spain, Spain, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Hemming, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/3/2017)
(CVNE, Imperial Reserva Rioja Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (6/27/2017)
(CUNE Rioja Imperial Reserva, Red, Spain) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, Spain’s New Releases, Part 2: Triumphs and Travails (May 2017) (5/17/2017)
(Cvne (compania Vinicola Del Norte De Espana, Cune) Imperial Reserva (rioja) Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign and Decanter and JancisRobinson.com and JamesSuckling.com and Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| 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)C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Reserva
- CVNE founded in 1879 by the brothers Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa, and the business has since remained in the hands of their descendants, currently in the fifth generation
- 13% alcohol
- fruit sourced from vineyards around Villalba and Haro, using only that from vines at least 20 years-old; blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, all harvested by hand, destemmed and cold-macerated, before temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel, malolactic fermentation and subsequent ageing for the prescribed time in a mixture of French and American oakTempranillo Varietal character (Appellation America) | TAPAS: Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society
Tempranillo is the premium red wine grape variety from the Rioja and Ribera del Duero region in Spain. Tempranillo's aromas and flavors often combine elements of berryish fruit, herbaceousness, and an earthy-leathery minerality. Being low in acidity and sugar content, it is commonly blended with Carignan (Mazuela), Grenache (Garnacha), Graciano, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
WineAccess
The varietal is at its best in top Riojas, where oak aging is employed to generate increased complexity and harmony. From the best sites, these wines can be remarkably concentrated with great aging potential. New wines from this region are darker, and more robust, with more dynamic primary fruit flavors than traditionally styled examples. These wines seem to reflect the influence of Spain's other key region for Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero. Regardless of style, Riojas tend to be medium bodied wines, with more acid than tannins. These wines generally feature Tempranillo blended with Garancha, Mazuelo, and Graciano. For these wines, there are three quality levels, which will appear on the label. Everyday drinking wines fall under the category of "Crianza", "Reserva" denotes more complex and concentrated wines, and "Gran Reserva" refers to the most intense wines, made only in the best years.
The same labeling scheme applies to wines from Ribera del Duero, which, like Rioja, is dominated by Tempranillo and shares similar blending grapes. Again, Ribera del Duero wines are generally darker and more powerful than the most traditional Riojas. These wines also generally see less oak treatment than Riojas. From Rioja, we like wines from Allende, Marqués de Cáceres, Montecillo, and Cune. In Ribera del Duero, consider Dominio de Pingus, Emilio Moro, Convento San Francisco, and Pesquera.
Pair older-style Rioja with simple meats like chicken, leg of lamb, and pork loin. However, the newer style of Rioja and Ribera del Duero works especially well with bolder meat dishes or an aged Spanish cheese like Manchego or Idiazabal. 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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