Surprisingly youthful with raspberry, cocoa, slight hints of leather. Bright red color and still has a few years ahead. Hardly any ox. Great traditional Rioja..love Cune
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Notes after slow-O for 4 hours. Very dark ruby color, 90% saturated with no fading and a light dash of sediment. Profound cassis, tobacco, cocoa, and toast in the bouquet. Palate still has some strong tannins influencing the structure but a good bite of food helps smooth things out. Really pretty overall, and a great value for the money for such a tasty treat. Its best days are yet ahead. 5+12+16+8= 91
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Medium-intensity ruby in color. The nose shows good aromatic intensity with aromas of fresh wild red fruits. A well-balanced wine that can still mature for several years in the bottle. The palate is soft and marked by silky tannins and a long, fruity, youthful finish.
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Pleasant, but not impressive Rioja Reserva from CVNE. Deep, nearly opaque red color in the glass with aromas of dark cherries, leather and other red fruits. On the palate, a bit disappointing as the fruit flavors are very subdued and do not reveal themselves. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with slight dustiness.
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This is a ridiculously good $15 value from COSTCO. Clear, bright, med+ ruby. Clean, ripe red fruit, black fruit, dried herbs, forest floor, vanilla and subtle oak spice notes. The nose is developing. Dry, w/ med acidity, med+ tannins and high alcohol (14%). Overall, a wonderfully balanced, maturing wine, which is showing beautifully at 7 years. It probably has 5-10 years left to go, but who is going to cellar a $15 wine?
Needs a 2-3 hour decant to open it up. Nice every day Rioja, but nothing special for the money (c. $25). Vina Alberdi 2015/16 knocks the socks off this wine and is cheaper.
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Great complexity with leather, tobacco, dark fruit, vanilla, and sweet spices. Classic reserva. Rioja is an emerging personal favorite region. Medium acidity, medium+ body, moderate tanins. Overall excellent structure. Vanilla sweetness came through just a little too much for me, but excellent otherwise.
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Needs about 30 minutes to open up, should be decanted to give it some air
Medium(+) dark ruby color with some sediment
Nose: medium aromas of dark red currant and char with notes of licorice and potting soil
Palate: medium(+) tannins, dry, medium/medium(+) acid, smooth texture. Medium/medium(-) clean flavors of red currant and coconut/vanilla with a hint of smoke. A medium/medium(+) length oaky coconut and slightly herbal finish, nice complexity and great balance.
Clean and and oaky with really good balance. Very nice to drink!
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Concertrated berry notes on the nose, to taste raspberry and cranberry, full and a touch sweeter on the second day. Not much of a finish though some clove and leather. Lacks depth but very drinkable and enough interest. Cracking wine for the money, plenty of life yet.
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This is a medium/bold wine, somewhat earthy and mineral driven, but one that doesn't finish strong. Day two was a bit better. This is a decent mid-week wine. It was a gift to me, and I will say if it has a price tag greater than, say, $12.99, I would probably pass.
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Softer oak and tannins than I expected, but still oaky and tannic compared to most red wines. Just a hint of cherry on the palate. A great Rioja Reserva for modest money. I imagine it can age well for a decade or more.
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This is a solid wine and good value on offer at 12 Euros. It has muted aromas of leathery violetty blackberries, forest fruits, sandstone, cloves+ cherries. Its ample, savoury opulent medium bodied taut decently juicy clove flecked black, blue and red fruits palate has nice layers and good length. 14%. Lay down for 2-4 years. Needs a couple of hours aeration. This is more like a Ribera del Duero due to the lowish acidity.
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Probably one of the better wines consumed over the last two weeks of vacation travel. Decanted and enjoyed with beef fajitas. Medium purple with a ruby rim, medium plus bodied. Has some evolving complexity on the nose: green herbs, pepper spice, red florals, tart cherry, chewy raspberry, and dried mulchy dirt. Big mouthfeel. Acidity and tannins looking for equilibrium. Very long finish. Early development; can drink now with a decant, and should drink well through 2030+
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Despite not being complex, this is a very enjoyable wine. With air a fruity nose develops with cedar and tobacco. The palate is distinctly cherry, almost like Sangiovese, a little leather, some blackberry and plum. The tannins are present but pleasantly smooth
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Opened and consumed over two nights. Note from day two.
Tight nose - just cherries, vanilla, nail varnish. Medium full body, well balanced, savoury and chewy. Tannins more pronounced that last night. Tight long finish.
On day one the wine had a tighter profile, was more acidic / sour. I find the flavours more balanced on day two and overall more pleasant to drink. Just entering its drinking window, but I'd still wait another year or two.
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🇪🇸 Casi 5 mil valoraciones para este Rioja elaborado sobre todo con Tempranillo y añejado como mínimo 12 meses en barricas de roble francés y americano. Madera de calidad muy bien integrada añadiendo a la fruta apuntes a chocolate, tostados y ahumados. Buen volumen y intensidad en boca, con paso suave y final agradable. Sigo el promedio (3.9).
🇧🇷🇵🇹 Harmonizado com o ótimo bacalhau à lagareiro do novo restaurante Amada Lisboa de Guarajuba (delivery).
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This deep ruby blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Garnacha was splash-decanted and serially sampled over the ensuing two hours. Dominated by earthy red fruit aromas and flavors, it adds notes of pickling spice, mocha and dried herbs. Freshly acidic, medium-to-full-bodied and with well-integrated alcohol (14.5%), it coats its flavors with rustic tannins and stays solid on the mid-palate. Medium in length on the back end, this is a credible, structured Spanish red that will have many fans. While it may improve as the tannins soften, I don't think that this will necessarily benefit from extended cellaring. Drink now-2024.
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Lovely, ripe blue and red fruit with quite present oak notes. Very young, but opened up and was great with our meal, and especially the Pavé cheese, which brought out more of its fruitiness. Would probably decant well ahead of serving or leave for another year or two, personally.
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Dark garnet in color getting lighter toward the edge and clear in the glass; aromas of cherry, tobacco, leather, and floral hints on the nose; tastes of cherry liqueur and leather on the palate; medium(+) body, medium acidity, and chewy tannins; long leathery finish.
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Visual - burgundy, medium bodied Aroma - subdued aromas, red cherry, black liquorice Palate - medium bodied, pleasant acidity, red berry, fruity, milk chocolate finish,
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NB: I had incorrectly written this review/these notes under CT's CUNE 2015 'Imperial' Rioja Reserva label. I've deleted that, after member dhp rightly pointed out my error, and I've now correctly put this same set of notes under this CUNE 2015 Rioja Reserva label, not their 'Imperial' one.
Bought Majestic UK August 2020 for £9.99 on promo
Outstanding VFM, a bargain of a Reserva in a commercial style, which means super-drinkable, yes, but plenty of personality too, and some complexity, in fact a good deal of complexity. Not yet mature, of course, but currently drinking very well at 5 yrs old anyway.
N....mix of rich fruit, wood, baccy, espresso, a touch of damp forrest floor even, a tad dry leather. Mild intensity.
C....no tawny edge yet, still deep red.
T....style is medium-dry, there's lots going on, it's a busy boy! Rich black fruit, some semi-sweet wood, smokey, savoury, baccy, long warm flavours, soft easy tannins, wonderfully drinkable, nice acid/fruit tension. Heaps of cellar potenial, easily a 93/100 wine.
VFM?....feels £20.00, cost £9.99. Bargain. Buying more 2015, and waiting for another good Rioja vintage.
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PnP, it's dark, brooding, and ungiving on the nose. Even after a few hours, it doesn't give up much on the palate, only showing modest notes of ripe dark berry with grippy tannins on the medium-short finish. Clearly needs more time.
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Serious wine that should age well. Good Rioja typicity, with restraint and evident tannins. Flavors of dried dark fruits, leather, and smoky oak. Nicely in balance, and better on the second day.
$15 at Costco and a solid value.
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Deep garnet color fading to pink with a clear watery rim. Soft nose of plumb, dark cherry, vanilla, and cedar. Full bodied dark fruits and spices fill the palate while providing very good acidity, tight-grained tannins, and a medium-long aftertaste. I am a Rioja fan. This is a capable example of the style from a reliable producer and represents good QPR, as most Riojas often do. While enjoyable now, it really needs 5-10 more years in the cellar to present at its best.
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2015 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Cune Reserva, $15. Mid-dark garnet; ripe grape, plum, black fruit, spice and cedar nose (aged in French and American oak for one year); mid-big body; tight tannins; long berry, Tempranillo, and wood finish; slightly hot (14.5 alc.). w/BBQ, pasta, heartier dishes. 16 UC Davis scale, 90 other scales.
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90. Very tart out of the bottle and aerator but a run through the milk frother really helped smooth out the rough edges. Cherry, vanilla, oak, some peppery heat, maybe the smallest bit of chocolate. Quite good and great QPR.
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Really well balanced - cherry, vanilla, oak, all the usual flavours in perfect proportions. Not the most exciting perhaps but never disappoints and few better at this price.
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Picked up at Costco for $15 and change. This is a very nice every day red with considerably more complexity than Im accustomed to at this price point. Considerable cherry upfront with minimal tannic bite. Definitely some wood lurking in there, but not unpleasant at all. Some spice tones finish off nicely in the back with enough acidity to keep it from being simple or jammy. It drank nicely on its own and paired well with beef tenderloin. I have minimal experience with Spanish Rioja and when I saw this with the 93pts JS review sticker on it at that price I figured it was a good time to start. This is a very nice start to my venture into Rioja and if this is any indication of most Riojas, Im going to enjoy them.
Not your typical Rioja. More akin to a Spanish Super Tuscan (should I copyright that?). Dominate cherry with moderate tannins, nice mouthfeel and medium length. Paired really well with spicy chili rellenos and tamales. A great buy at Costco for $15. Will look for more. 3.8 stars.
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Disappointing. If I did not know it was a Rioja I would not realize. It’s ok but lacks character, balance and depth. In fact it lacks almost everything that is Rioja.
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Bright ruby, intense nose with cherry, clove and vanilla. Slightly underwhelming flavours in contrast, light tannins and not much length or oak influence on the finish. Pleasant enough but not as distinctive as previous years (e.g. 2013) or as definitely Rioja, still very good value.
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Purple red colour with some fading Dark fruit, plums on the nose violets Some dark spice, full body, smooth tannins, touch of vanilla. Polished but not terribly distinctive. Not sure I’d recognise this as Rioja. More like something from South America.
Still it’s not bad. 15.5/20
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Tasted Double-blind with Lindsay Pomeroy MW. Incorrectly identified as Aussie Shiraz or Malbec.
Deep ruby color. Med+ intense aromas of mint, eucalyptus, coffee, chocolate, dark cherry, smoke, dill, and vanilla. Med acidity and medium tannin. Medium flavors of black plum, game, iron, bramble, dark plum, dill, pepper, charred oak, and spice. Medium-Medium+ length on the finish.
Key learning points for Rioja - Medium/middle of the road intensity to everything, American oak influences (vanilla, dill, mint), red-to-black fruits.
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Said to be a Tempranillo blend with 15% Garnacha, Graciano & Mazuelo. This is delicious and a nice cab sub for burgers and other hearty dishes like the stew we had tonight. Semi opaque ruby purple color. Sweet tannins and a lush but lifted range of; dark cherry, raspberry, chocolate, mineral, herbs and earth. I'd score this higher with a little more time to further integrate its oak influence. That said, a pleasure right now with enough zip to work well with food too. 14% alc on the label but integrated well. I'll buy again for easy week night decisions. I was thinking Barbaresco tonight but ran out of time to properly air it so diverted to this. Always nice to have a handy sub $20 wine for a quick PnP. Paid $14 at Costco and an excellent value at that price point. This would benefit from more air too but PnP works fine in a pinch. Best served in lower 60s.
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Ruby. Black cherry, plum and vanilla. Good structure, fruit and balance with integrated tannins and short/medium length finish. Good weekday wine for a great price at Costco. Markedly better than the fruit forward 2012 vintage I had of this wine.
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4/6/2024 - ChicagoFoodies Likes this wine: 90 Points
Surprisingly youthful with raspberry, cocoa, slight hints of leather. Bright red color and still has a few years ahead. Hardly any ox. Great traditional Rioja..love Cune
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1/20/2024 - Miguelvino@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark ruby color, with some age, good wine but not impressive, dark dry red fruit, some oak. Good for the price. Mild tanings. Medium finish.
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12/30/2023 - fingers Likes this wine: 91 Points
Notes after slow-O for 4 hours. Very dark ruby color, 90% saturated with no fading and a light dash of sediment. Profound cassis, tobacco, cocoa, and toast in the bouquet. Palate still has some strong tannins influencing the structure but a good bite of food helps smooth things out. Really pretty overall, and a great value for the money for such a tasty treat. Its best days are yet ahead.
5+12+16+8= 91
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4/8/2023 - JC1000 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium-intensity ruby in color. The nose shows good aromatic intensity with aromas of fresh wild red fruits. A well-balanced wine that can still mature for several years in the bottle. The palate is soft and marked by silky tannins and a long, fruity, youthful finish.
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1/26/2023 - EXPLORER 825 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Pleasant, but not impressive Rioja Reserva from CVNE. Deep, nearly opaque red color in the glass with aromas of dark cherries, leather and other red fruits.
On the palate, a bit disappointing as the fruit flavors are very subdued and do not reveal themselves. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with slight dustiness.
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11/20/2022 - Jverhoef Likes this wine: 88 Points
Great with tacos and then Brunswick stew
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11/10/2022 - dmitchell4 wrote: 89 Points
Needs lots of air
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11/6/2022 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a ridiculously good $15 value from COSTCO. Clear, bright, med+ ruby. Clean, ripe red fruit, black fruit, dried herbs, forest floor, vanilla and subtle oak spice notes. The nose is developing. Dry, w/ med acidity, med+ tannins and high alcohol (14%). Overall, a wonderfully balanced, maturing wine, which is showing beautifully at 7 years. It probably has 5-10 years left to go, but who is going to cellar a $15 wine?
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10/21/2022 - nocowine Likes this wine:
Earth, spice, a little fruit, vanilla. Enjoyable but not special.
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10/6/2022 - LEEJV123 wrote: 88 Points
Light, fruity, round.
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9/5/2022 - Oliverl1 wrote: 85 Points
Needs a 2-3 hour decant to open it up. Nice every day Rioja, but nothing special for the money (c. $25). Vina Alberdi 2015/16 knocks the socks off this wine and is cheaper.
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5/5/2022 - zachb1125 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Great complexity with leather, tobacco, dark fruit, vanilla, and sweet spices. Classic reserva. Rioja is an emerging personal favorite region. Medium acidity, medium+ body, moderate tanins. Overall excellent structure. Vanilla sweetness came through just a little too much for me, but excellent otherwise.
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4/24/2022 - dmitchell4 wrote:
Will try in a few years
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1/11/2022 - Mic Mac Likes this wine:
Strong scents of cola. Fresh berries and cola. Gets much better with air. Probably needs another 10 years.
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1/6/2022 - dave747400 wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 2hrs. Young & fairly light bodied. Lovely gentle oak treatment. Very good value.
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1/2/2022 - N777 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needs about 30 minutes to open up, should be decanted to give it some air
Medium(+) dark ruby color with some sediment
Nose: medium aromas of dark red currant and char with notes of licorice and potting soil
Palate: medium(+) tannins, dry, medium/medium(+) acid, smooth texture. Medium/medium(-) clean flavors of red currant and coconut/vanilla with a hint of smoke. A medium/medium(+) length oaky coconut and slightly herbal finish, nice complexity and great balance.
Clean and and oaky with really good balance. Very nice to drink!
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12/24/2021 - Jaymnik Likes this wine: 89 Points
Concertrated berry notes on the nose, to taste raspberry and cranberry, full and a touch sweeter on the second day. Not much of a finish though some clove and leather. Lacks depth but very drinkable and enough interest. Cracking wine for the money, plenty of life yet.
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12/22/2021 - Ruubious wrote:
no formal notes, decanted, drank over two hours, nice easy drinking wine, going to try to leave the others for at least another year
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12/21/2021 - Stuart10er Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice ruby color with a clear rim. Nose is floral with a touch of pepper. Taste has earthy leather with notes of blackberry on the finish. Nice.
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12/8/2021 - Les Raisins Du Aron Likes this wine: 88 Points
This is a medium/bold wine, somewhat earthy and mineral driven, but one that doesn't finish strong. Day two was a bit better. This is a decent mid-week wine. It was a gift to me, and I will say if it has a price tag greater than, say, $12.99, I would probably pass.
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11/20/2021 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lots to like here. 20 minutes of air allows the oak to blow off and let the fruit and earthiness shine. Fantastic minerality. Better on day-2.
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10/22/2021 - progenitive Likes this wine: 90 Points
Softer oak and tannins than I expected, but still oaky and tannic compared to most red wines. Just a hint of cherry on the palate. A great Rioja Reserva for modest money. I imagine it can age well for a decade or more.
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10/12/2021 - macaujames Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is a solid wine and good value on offer at 12 Euros. It has muted aromas of leathery violetty blackberries, forest fruits, sandstone, cloves+ cherries. Its ample, savoury opulent medium bodied taut decently juicy clove flecked black, blue and red fruits palate has nice layers and good length. 14%. Lay down for 2-4 years. Needs a couple of hours aeration. This is more like a Ribera del Duero due to the lowish acidity.
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10/6/2021 - Kacka wrote:
At first not very complex. Did not decant…but recorked and the next day was great…third day…even better!
Buy again!
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8/7/2021 - ZBB Likes this wine:
Decent Rioja. Perhaps a bit young, but nicely balanced.
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7/9/2021 - wmccone54 wrote: 90 Points
Probably one of the better wines consumed over the last two weeks of vacation travel. Decanted and enjoyed with beef fajitas. Medium purple with a ruby rim, medium plus bodied. Has some evolving complexity on the nose: green herbs, pepper spice, red florals, tart cherry, chewy raspberry, and dried mulchy dirt. Big mouthfeel. Acidity and tannins looking for equilibrium. Very long finish. Early development; can drink now with a decant, and should drink well through 2030+
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6/27/2021 - PSirah Tampa Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Immediately accessible but somewhat closed. Somewhat simple, but tart and spicy. Likely much better in a few years.
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6/3/2021 - K&J Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same notes as before.
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5/2/2021 - Portland Seth Likes this wine: 89 Points
Cranberry, blackberry, oak and oakmoss. A little simple but eminently quaffable.
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4/17/2021 - JamieEi Likes this wine:
Smooth, mild spice, very good
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4/8/2021 - Oberunter-5 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Despite not being complex, this is a very enjoyable wine. With air a fruity nose develops with cedar and tobacco. The palate is distinctly cherry, almost like Sangiovese, a little leather, some blackberry and plum. The tannins are present but pleasantly smooth
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3/20/2021 - K&J Likes this wine: 92 Points
Approachable, easy to drink with red and black fruit and good ripeness. Classic entry level Rioja reserva.
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3/20/2021 - Vinoguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and consumed over two nights. Note from day two.
Tight nose - just cherries, vanilla, nail varnish. Medium full body, well balanced, savoury and chewy. Tannins more pronounced that last night. Tight long finish.
On day one the wine had a tighter profile, was more acidic / sour. I find the flavours more balanced on day two and overall more pleasant to drink. Just entering its drinking window, but I'd still wait another year or two.
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3/8/2021 - GoodeGrief Likes this wine: 89 Points
High in tannins. Tight. But will be amazing in about 18 months.
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1/29/2021 - fredfta wrote: 90 Points
🇪🇸 Casi 5 mil valoraciones para este Rioja elaborado sobre todo con Tempranillo y añejado como mínimo 12 meses en barricas de roble francés y americano. Madera de calidad muy bien integrada añadiendo a la fruta apuntes a chocolate, tostados y ahumados. Buen volumen y intensidad en boca, con paso suave y final agradable. Sigo el promedio (3.9).
🇧🇷🇵🇹 Harmonizado com o ótimo bacalhau à lagareiro do novo restaurante Amada Lisboa de Guarajuba (delivery).
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1/22/2021 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Savory, barky fruit to the nose. Palate is fairly flush and elegant.
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1/20/2021 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 88 Points
This deep ruby blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Garnacha was splash-decanted and serially sampled over the ensuing two hours. Dominated by earthy red fruit aromas and flavors, it adds notes of pickling spice, mocha and dried herbs. Freshly acidic, medium-to-full-bodied and with well-integrated alcohol (14.5%), it coats its flavors with rustic tannins and stays solid on the mid-palate. Medium in length on the back end, this is a credible, structured Spanish red that will have many fans. While it may improve as the tannins soften, I don't think that this will necessarily benefit from extended cellaring. Drink now-2024.
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12/18/2020 - Nojomoschwa Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely, ripe blue and red fruit with quite present oak notes. Very young, but opened up and was great with our meal, and especially the Pavé cheese, which brought out more of its fruitiness. Would probably decant well ahead of serving or leave for another year or two, personally.
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12/16/2020 - Stephen Rash wrote: 90 Points
Dark garnet in color getting lighter toward the edge and clear in the glass; aromas of cherry, tobacco, leather, and floral hints on the nose; tastes of cherry liqueur and leather on the palate; medium(+) body, medium acidity, and chewy tannins; long leathery finish.
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12/14/2020 - davidspieker wrote: 88 Points
Dark red with a little sediment. Some funk and medicinal aromas. Earthy cherry and oak flavors with a juicy finish. Still needs time.
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12/11/2020 - 54ver Likes this wine: 90 Points
Visual - burgundy, medium bodied
Aroma - subdued aromas, red cherry, black liquorice
Palate - medium bodied, pleasant acidity, red berry, fruity, milk chocolate finish,
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12/8/2020 - Callum's Corkers Likes this wine: 91 Points
NB: I had incorrectly written this review/these notes under CT's CUNE 2015 'Imperial' Rioja Reserva label. I've deleted that, after member dhp rightly pointed out my error, and I've now correctly put this same set of notes under this CUNE 2015 Rioja Reserva label, not their 'Imperial' one.
Bought Majestic UK August 2020 for £9.99 on promo
Outstanding VFM, a bargain of a Reserva in a commercial style, which means super-drinkable, yes, but plenty of personality too, and some complexity, in fact a good deal of complexity. Not yet mature, of course, but currently drinking very well at 5 yrs old anyway.
N....mix of rich fruit, wood, baccy, espresso, a touch of damp forrest floor even, a tad dry leather. Mild intensity.
C....no tawny edge yet, still deep red.
T....style is medium-dry, there's lots going on, it's a busy boy!
Rich black fruit, some semi-sweet wood, smokey, savoury, baccy, long warm flavours, soft easy tannins, wonderfully drinkable, nice acid/fruit tension. Heaps of cellar potenial, easily a 93/100 wine.
VFM?....feels £20.00, cost £9.99. Bargain. Buying more 2015, and waiting for another good Rioja vintage.
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11/28/2020 - surlemur wrote: 85 Points
Not bad, but slightly unbalanced acidity.
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11/27/2020 - mrkurtz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark and brooding, lots of meaty notes and a nice savoriness. Copious tannins, quite acidic.
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11/16/2020 - mkates2000 wrote: 89 Points
Very nice balance at this price point.
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11/12/2020 - Galaga Likes this wine: 89 Points
Piney until it opens up. Somewhat acidic.
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10/26/2020 - ziavino wrote: 88 Points
PnP, it's dark, brooding, and ungiving on the nose. Even after a few hours, it doesn't give up much on the palate, only showing modest notes of ripe dark berry with grippy tannins on the medium-short finish. Clearly needs more time.
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10/24/2020 - Joe the Critic Likes this wine: 89 Points
Serious wine that should age well. Good Rioja typicity, with restraint and evident tannins. Flavors of dried dark fruits, leather, and smoky oak. Nicely in balance, and better on the second day.
$15 at Costco and a solid value.
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10/13/2020 - eyewino wrote: 88 Points
Deep garnet color fading to pink with a clear watery rim. Soft nose of plumb, dark cherry, vanilla, and cedar. Full bodied dark fruits and spices fill the palate while providing very good acidity, tight-grained tannins, and a medium-long aftertaste. I am a Rioja fan. This is a capable example of the style from a reliable producer and represents good QPR, as most Riojas often do. While enjoyable now, it really needs 5-10 more years in the cellar to present at its best.
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10/5/2020 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 90 Points
2015 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Cune Reserva, $15. Mid-dark garnet; ripe grape, plum, black fruit, spice and cedar nose (aged in French and American oak for one year); mid-big body; tight tannins; long berry, Tempranillo, and wood finish; slightly hot (14.5 alc.). w/BBQ, pasta, heartier dishes. 16 UC Davis scale, 90 other scales.
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9/29/2020 - YackAttack213 Likes this wine: 90 Points
90. Very tart out of the bottle and aerator but a run through the milk frother really helped smooth out the rough edges. Cherry, vanilla, oak, some peppery heat, maybe the smallest bit of chocolate. Quite good and great QPR.
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6/28/2020 - Jaymnik Likes this wine: 89 Points
Really well balanced - cherry, vanilla, oak, all the usual flavours in perfect proportions. Not the most exciting perhaps but never disappoints and few better at this price.
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6/27/2020 - mjwilliams2 Likes this wine:
For me, it’s much better with food. Really enjoyed with pizza.
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5/11/2020 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 88 Points
Dark ruby. A muted nose but a palate of sweet black cherry and some spice. Medium body with a nice balance making it very accessible.
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5/9/2020 - Leifdan01 Likes this wine: 94 Points
That’s my thing
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5/6/2020 - WaWineFan in TX Likes this wine: 90 Points
Picked up at Costco for $15 and change. This is a very nice every day red with considerably more complexity than Im accustomed to at this price point. Considerable cherry upfront with minimal tannic bite. Definitely some wood lurking in there, but not unpleasant at all. Some spice tones finish off nicely in the back with enough acidity to keep it from being simple or jammy. It drank nicely on its own and paired well with beef tenderloin. I have minimal experience with Spanish Rioja and when I saw this with the 93pts JS review sticker on it at that price I figured it was a good time to start. This is a very nice start to my venture into Rioja and if this is any indication of most Riojas, Im going to enjoy them.
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5/3/2020 - Us333034 wrote: 87 Points
Good drinking wine. Dry and not too fruity
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4/23/2020 - Sid G Likes this wine: 86 Points
A pleasant everyday red wine. Not a typical Rioja as it is much more fruit forward with a distinct nose and taste of black cherries. Nicely priced.
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4/21/2020 - Siwink57 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Not your typical Rioja. More akin to a Spanish Super Tuscan (should I copyright that?). Dominate cherry with moderate tannins, nice mouthfeel and medium length. Paired really well with spicy chili rellenos and tamales. A great buy at Costco for $15. Will look for more. 3.8 stars.
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4/12/2020 - gingerbreadman wrote: 81 Points
Disappointing. If I did not know it was a Rioja I would not realize. It’s ok but lacks character, balance and depth. In fact it lacks almost everything that is Rioja.
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3/27/2020 - Jaymnik Likes this wine: 87 Points
Bright ruby, intense nose with cherry, clove and vanilla. Slightly underwhelming flavours in contrast, light tannins and not much length or oak influence on the finish. Pleasant enough but not as distinctive as previous years (e.g. 2013) or as definitely Rioja, still very good value.
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3/25/2020 - henrygjeffreys wrote:
Purple red colour with some fading
Dark fruit, plums on the nose violets
Some dark spice, full body, smooth tannins, touch of vanilla.
Polished but not terribly distinctive. Not sure I’d recognise this as Rioja. More like something from South America.
Still it’s not bad. 15.5/20
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3/14/2020 - R2-D2 wrote: 89 Points
Tasted Double-blind with Lindsay Pomeroy MW. Incorrectly identified as Aussie Shiraz or Malbec.
Deep ruby color. Med+ intense aromas of mint, eucalyptus, coffee, chocolate, dark cherry, smoke, dill, and vanilla. Med acidity and medium tannin. Medium flavors of black plum, game, iron, bramble, dark plum, dill, pepper, charred oak, and spice. Medium-Medium+ length on the finish.
Key learning points for Rioja - Medium/middle of the road intensity to everything, American oak influences (vanilla, dill, mint), red-to-black fruits.
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3/7/2020 - jonanator wrote: 88 Points
Awesome daily drinker. Great QPR.
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2/15/2020 - HFLED Likes this wine: 87 Points
Perfectly fine for $15-18, but nothing special. Body feels a bit thin for a Rioja.
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2/12/2020 - jcassi01 wrote: 87 Points
Dissapointing
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2/3/2020 - Burgundynick Likes this wine: 87 Points
Standard solid Rioja, at the price you can't fault it - 87 points
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1/27/2020 - chablis28 wrote: 89 Points
Said to be a Tempranillo blend with 15% Garnacha, Graciano & Mazuelo. This is delicious and a nice cab sub for burgers and other hearty dishes like the stew we had tonight. Semi opaque ruby purple color. Sweet tannins and a lush but lifted range of; dark cherry, raspberry, chocolate, mineral, herbs and earth. I'd score this higher with a little more time to further integrate its oak influence. That said, a pleasure right now with enough zip to work well with food too. 14% alc on the label but integrated well. I'll buy again for easy week night decisions. I was thinking Barbaresco tonight but ran out of time to properly air it so diverted to this. Always nice to have a handy sub $20 wine for a quick PnP. Paid $14 at Costco and an excellent value at that price point. This would benefit from more air too but PnP works fine in a pinch. Best served in lower 60s.
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1/26/2020 - dex8 wrote: 88 Points
Nice Rioja, buy again for $17. But not worth more than 20
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12/7/2019 - ThMeyer wrote: 89 Points
Quite nice - second day in a decanter better than the first
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11/14/2019 - petec-s wrote: 86 Points
Drinkable and needs a couple years to knit together. Hollow mid palate, made in the corporate winery rather than the vineyard.
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10/27/2019 - mvande21 wrote: 91 Points
Ruby. Black cherry, plum and vanilla. Good structure, fruit and balance with integrated tannins and short/medium length finish. Good weekday wine for a great price at Costco. Markedly better than the fruit forward 2012 vintage I had of this wine.
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