Imperial Gran Reserva 2018 from CVNE: the best since 1947

CVNE’s Imperial Gran Reserva is always good but the new release is outstanding. The Wine Advocate‘s Spanish expert Luis Gutierrez reckons the 2018 is the best vintage of this wine since 1947. Deep, intense and packed with fine-grained tannins, this is a wine that will mature beautifully. It is also terrific value for money at just £240 in bond for six. 

Imperial Gran Reserva is CVNE’s most prestigious wine. It is only made in top years. The grapes come from the company’s best vineyards in Rioja Alta, some of which number among the oldest in Rioja. At harvest, grapes are double-sorted to ensure optimum results: first in the vineyard and then in the winery using an optical sorter. The wine is aged for two years in a mixture of French and American oak before further maturation in bottle.

2018 is a classic blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. The year was cooler than other recent vintages in Rioja, giving a welcome freshness and vibrancy to the wine. Cool temperatures made for a long, 180 day growing season, leading to particular complexity of flavour.

When it comes to value for money, few fine wines can match Imperial Gran Reserva. This is a great vintage of it. It is ready to drink now but will continue to develop for several decades.

See more wine from CVNE here.

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