Cvne Imperial Rioja Gran Reserva 2016 750ml

"Deep, brilliant ruby. Offers sharply defined, mineral-inflected red and dark berries, cherry liqueur, pipe tobacco, vanilla and exotic spice scents. Chewy and penetrating in the mouth, offering concentrated black raspberry, bitter cherry, boysenberry and spicecake flavors that steadily become more lively on the back half. The strikingly persistent finish features polished tannins, repeating minerality and a touch of candied flowers. 95 points" Josh Raynolds Vinous Media

Our finest Rioja Alta vineyards are destined for the production of Imperial Gran Reserva.

Imperial Gran Reserva is an iconic Rioja and Spanish wine. It is only made when harvests are exceptional. This wine is designed to last and improve over time.

The 40-year-old Barbarroja and Antoñanzas estates and small-scale vineyards in Torrentalvo were selected for this 2014 vintage. These are small, non-irrigated vineyards with head-trained vines that grow in clay soils that are poor in organic matter and contain some rocks. The vineyards are situated on gentle south-facing slopes and benefit from a moderate continental climate.

Following rigorous ripening tests, the manual harvesting process begins in which the grapes are collected in 20 kg boxes.

On arrival at the winery, the grapes are kept in a cold store for 24 hours to improve fruit extraction and stabilise the colour. Following a conveyor belt selection process, the grapes pass by gravity into French oak vats, where alcoholic fermentation takes place with our own yeasts at a controlled temperature of 28-29°C.

The wine is then aged for a minimum of 24 months in new French and American oak barrels, with racking every 8 months. Finally, the bottles are aged for a minimum of 36 months in our hundred-year-old cellars before finally being released onto the market.