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Cune Imperial Reserva 2018

Cune Imperial Reserva

2018
94
PARKER

Other bottle sizes and vintages

£47.95

/ 0.75 L btl
  • Free delivery over £100
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Spec sheet

TypeRed wine
Region
Grapes
Producer
AllergensContains sulfites
Alcohol contenti14.0%

The wine

Cvne is and always will be a classic bodega in essence, but it is also an avant-garde winery - it always has been and already was back in the 19th Century. Deeply rooted in tradition but with an inclination for innovation, their wines form a solid bridge between the past and the present, moving firmly forward towards the future.

In general, the whole wide and varied collection consists of wines that are all-time favourites, captivating widely differing palates and enjoying extensive international acclaim, but the Imperial Reserva is the most emblematic, their most representative wine.

The Imperial Reserva exemplifies the range of high expression wines - superior quality wines at reasonable prices. Alongside the Imperial Gran Reserva and the Real de Asúa, the winemaker's little gem, are the three most highly cossetted wines, veritable artisan products, with harvesting by hand, vineyards over thirty years old and grape selection on the sorting table; three wines that show great complexity, intense, accessible and well-balanced, the kind that can always be recommended.

The Imperial Reserva is unmistakeably a Rioja, and a very good Rioja at that. The first aromas to be released after pouring it into the glass are like taking a step back into the region's history, when Rioja and Bordeaux were so closely linked. It displays a classic nose, with lots of ripe juicy fruit, plums and red fruit (typical of the Tempranillo, its main variety), smoky touches and notes of damp undergrowth and oiled leather which magically transport us to that French region over the border. There really is something in common between Rioja and Bordeaux, a compelling bond, linking both the characters of their wines and their histories.

The wine quickly opens up to delight us with a subtle sweetness, a mineral presence and an elegant balsamic background, some eucalyptus notes which intensify with time in the glass, most attractively, and with a lovely underlay of caramel. On the palate it is very juicy, also pleasantly sweet but always in balance, showing evidence of acidity, fine body and structure – this is a meaty wine. It has a lot of personality, it is a complex entity, integrated, that leaves a sensation of cleanness on the palate and the tongue, without any bitterness or harshness. It is not a concentrated wine but definitely intense, sinewy, very versatile when teamed with food, such as fine red meats, game dishes, stews and cooked mushrooms, tripe, traditional Rioja cuisine... and, although it is a wine that leaves the winery ready to be enjoyed immediately, it has the capacity to age beautifully, so the sort of wine always to have at home, the type that never fails.

NOTES:

The name Imperial comes from the special bottling for the English market, known as an Imperial Pint.

Cune is written with a 'u' when it refers to the wine as a brand name; with a 'v' when referring to the winery's name, the initials of the Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España, familiarly known as Cune.

What does this wine taste like?

View
Picota cherry red / Intense / Opaque / Violet glints / Bright
Bouquet
Higly aromatic / Elegant / Toasty notes / Coffee / Spicy notes / Gentle / Persistent / Complex
Mouth
Powerful / Flavoursome / Characterful / Harmonious / Long / Pleasant

Drinking and storing

Serve between 16ºC and 18ºC

Ratings and awards

201994 PK
201894 PK
201693 PK
201593 PK93 WS
201492+ PK
201292 PK
PK: ParkerWS: Wine spectator

Customer reviews

4.1/5
8 reviews
Vintage:

The winery

Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España - CVNE

Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España - CVNE

The Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España, CVNE —or 'Cune', as it's known locally in Haro— was founded in 1879 and was one of the first wineries in La Rioja to bottle wine. What started out as the project of two brothers (Raimundo and Eusebio Real de Asúa) continues today in the hands of the same family (now the fifth generation) and comprises four wineries: CVNE, Imperial (an independent winery within the original CVNE winery), Viña Real and Viñedos del Contino....

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