2019 Imperial Gran Reserva from CVNE: new release

CVNE’s Imperial Gran Reserva is one of Rioja’s best-loved fine wines. Only made in top vintages, it is consistently excellent. The new release, 2019, is no exception. It offers terrific value for money at just £240 in bond for six.

Imperial Gran Reserva is the most prestigious wine at CVNE. 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.

2019 is a classic blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. The vintage was a low-yielding one, resulting in excellent levels of concentration. The particularly long growing season meant the grapes had plenty of time to achieve optimum ripeness. 2019 is a rich yet structured Imperial with dark fruit and silky tannins.

Imperial Gran Reserva is renowned for its ability to evolve both aromatically and texturally. The 2019 is approachable already but will continue to develop for several decades.

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