Initially this wine had a harsh caustic finish though the nose was great from the onset. After two hours it became integrated and smooth and the cinnamon , cardamon, rose petals and red fruit. Light bodied and delicate. A Very nice wine.
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Will T’s (30th) 87s (Noizé, London): Denser and plusher than the VR Reserva. Somewhat more obvious as expected. Very smooth. Creamy velvet. Classic Imperial. Brash smoothness rather than reticent complexity. Slips down well though! ****1/2
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wonderful. In a place of perfect balance between secondary fruit and tertiary flavors. This shows ample fruit and some earth and tobacco. subtle tea leaves. delicious.
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Decanted for an hour. Very youthful. Showing lots of pronounced notes of licorice, leather and noticeable oak. Cherry hiding beneath. Waiting to come out. Last sip showed some orange peel and some tea notes. Give this another decade in cellar to get those lighter more ethereal notes or drink now for prominent notes.
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Beautiful, youthful clarity in the glass. The only clue to this bottle's age was some pleasant (to me) barnyard and leather on the nose. Otherwise, it was a carefree 12 year old girl skipping down the street on a summer's afternoon. If wine was a girl and could skip.
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Muy potente en nariz, abierto, limpio, directo. Inicialmente sin los habituales reductivos que hemos encontrado en otros Imperial de la misma época. Hay un claro predominio de las notas de fruta roja licorosa, guinda escarchada, junto a un fondo de vainilla fina que no oculta el cacao tostado y un ligero apunte balsámico a granos de café verde. Adelgaza poco a poco pero no pierde un ápice de elegancia. Salen discretas notas de caja de puros, cuero ruso, tierra húmeda y un ahumado de gran calidad.
En boca es recio, concentrado, seco, denso, muy bien armado. Dotado de una estructura pétra y de fuerte acidez.Poderoso, sin artificios, en la línea clásica de los antiguos Imperiales que conjuban finura y solidez. No evoluciona ni un palmo. Ahí está: desafiante, hiératico, sin bajar la guardia... Un peso pesado con mucha pegada que está encajando el paso de los años como un campeón. En su estilo es de los mejores vinos probados en mucho tiempo. Da gusto ver que Rioja sigue siendo Rioja y que Cvne es capaz de sorprendernos, de vez en cuando, sacando de su tierra estos diamantes en bruto sin pulir.
Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 75% tempranillo, 15% graciano, 10% mazuelo - 12.5% vol. Permanece durante 12 meses en depósitos para finalizar la fermentación maloláctica y reposar antes de pasar a criarse en madera. El vino madura durante 36 meses en barricas semi-nuevas de 225 litros, 70% de roble americano y 30% francés. Según la cosecha se deja descansar entre 36 y 60 meses en los botelleros de los calados de la bodega antes de ser comercializado a mediados de la década de los 90. Reencorchado cada 20 años. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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Recent library release bottle from the winery. Opened for several hours then decanted briefly before serving. Dusky and opaque black cherry core colour fading to rusty amber translucency at the edge of the glass. Impressive glycerine legs for a 12.5% wine. Nose is immediately lovely sun-warmed velvet on an old chaise longue in a dusty old house followed by quite primary ripe raspberries fruit and a wrapper of agreeable sweaty saddle leather. Palate is all the high notes of the piano with still a lot of tannin and high acidity. The back end returns to a lovely velvety plushness and it has quite a heady finish but in a light and feminine way. Light and Burgundian in character. Made in the very old-school manner of Rioja, this is still rather too young to fully enjoy on the palate but the nose is gorgeous. Keep for another 3-5 years at least before trying again. Post Script: after leaving the second half of this bottle unvacuumed but with the cork in for 18 hours from the preceding part of this note, this blossomed into a beauty as the nose got even better and the palate softened into velvety gorgeousness but retaining a youthful and refreshing acidity. I scored this 88 yesterday but today it's at least 92. Fantastic stuff.....this is why I love wine.
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10/8/2022 - Boone's Farm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cherries, dried fruit, bitter chocolate and earth. A tiny bit caustic at first but became quite good after an hour
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1/22/2021 - Boone's Farm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Initially this wine had a harsh caustic finish though the nose was great from the onset. After two hours it became integrated and smooth and the cinnamon , cardamon, rose petals and red fruit. Light bodied and delicate. A Very nice wine.
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4/19/2018 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
Will T’s (30th) 87s (Noizé, London): Denser and plusher than the VR Reserva. Somewhat more obvious as expected. Very smooth. Creamy velvet. Classic Imperial. Brash smoothness rather than reticent complexity. Slips down well though! ****1/2
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11/7/2016 - lolo66 wrote:
wonderful. In a place of perfect balance between secondary fruit and tertiary flavors. This shows ample fruit and some earth and tobacco. subtle tea leaves. delicious.
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8/10/2015 - lolo66 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour. Very youthful. Showing lots of pronounced notes of licorice, leather and noticeable oak. Cherry hiding beneath. Waiting to come out. Last sip showed some orange peel and some tea notes. Give this another decade in cellar to get those lighter more ethereal notes or drink now for prominent notes.
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9/24/2014 - humagne wrote: 94 Points
Holds well, lots of tertiary aromas like leather, tobacco,sweet dried fruit. Balanced and long. This bottle was excellent.
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9/13/2014 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful, youthful clarity in the glass. The only clue to this bottle's age was some pleasant (to me) barnyard and leather on the nose. Otherwise, it was a carefree 12 year old girl skipping down the street on a summer's afternoon. If wine was a girl and could skip.
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9/1/2014 - Los 12 Glotones Likes this wine: 95 Points
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Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2014/09/imperial-1987-gran-reserva.html
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De color rubí granatoso de capa media, ligeramente granulado con un finísimo precipitado en la base de la botella. Reflejos brillantes, ambarinos. Borde amplio, atejado.
Muy potente en nariz, abierto, limpio, directo. Inicialmente sin los habituales reductivos que hemos encontrado en otros Imperial de la misma época. Hay un claro predominio de las notas de fruta roja licorosa, guinda escarchada, junto a un fondo de vainilla fina que no oculta el cacao tostado y un ligero apunte balsámico a granos de café verde. Adelgaza poco a poco pero no pierde un ápice de elegancia. Salen discretas notas de caja de puros, cuero ruso, tierra húmeda y un ahumado de gran calidad.
En boca es recio, concentrado, seco, denso, muy bien armado. Dotado de una estructura pétra y de fuerte acidez.Poderoso, sin artificios, en la línea clásica de los antiguos Imperiales que conjuban finura y solidez. No evoluciona ni un palmo. Ahí está: desafiante, hiératico, sin bajar la guardia... Un peso pesado con mucha pegada que está encajando el paso de los años como un campeón. En su estilo es de los mejores vinos probados en mucho tiempo. Da gusto ver que Rioja sigue siendo Rioja y que Cvne es capaz de sorprendernos, de vez en cuando, sacando de su tierra estos diamantes en bruto sin pulir.
Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
75% tempranillo, 15% graciano, 10% mazuelo - 12.5% vol.
Permanece durante 12 meses en depósitos para finalizar la fermentación maloláctica y reposar antes de pasar a criarse en madera. El vino madura durante 36 meses en barricas semi-nuevas de 225 litros, 70% de roble americano y 30% francés. Según la cosecha se deja descansar entre 36 y 60 meses en los botelleros de los calados de la bodega antes de ser comercializado a mediados de la década de los 90. Reencorchado cada 20 años.
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12/25/2013 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 92 Points
Recent library release bottle from the winery. Opened for several hours then decanted briefly before serving. Dusky and opaque black cherry core colour fading to rusty amber translucency at the edge of the glass. Impressive glycerine legs for a 12.5% wine. Nose is immediately lovely sun-warmed velvet on an old chaise longue in a dusty old house followed by quite primary ripe raspberries fruit and a wrapper of agreeable sweaty saddle leather. Palate is all the high notes of the piano with still a lot of tannin and high acidity. The back end returns to a lovely velvety plushness and it has quite a heady finish but in a light and feminine way. Light and Burgundian in character. Made in the very old-school manner of Rioja, this is still rather too young to fully enjoy on the palate but the nose is gorgeous. Keep for another 3-5 years at least before trying again. Post Script: after leaving the second half of this bottle unvacuumed but with the cork in for 18 hours from the preceding part of this note, this blossomed into a beauty as the nose got even better and the palate softened into velvety gorgeousness but retaining a youthful and refreshing acidity. I scored this 88 yesterday but today it's at least 92. Fantastic stuff.....this is why I love wine.
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10/20/2011 - humagne wrote: flawed
Oxidized.
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5/6/2011 - humagne wrote: 90 Points
Light color. Spicy nose, elegant and long, tannins resolved. Classical Rioja.
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