2018 Imperial Reserva, CVNE, Rioja
Reviews taken from Decanter magazines Rioja Guide 2023:
"Impressively dark colour. Full of red fruit aromas with a mild oak overlay. Rich, juicy, deep, complex. Drink 2023-2040."
92 pts, Pedro Ballesteros Torres, decanter.com
90 pts, Sarah Jane Evans, decanter.com
89 pts, PM, decanter.com
CVNEs Imperial wines have long been my benchmark Rioja, to which all others must be compared, so it comes as no surprise that yet again they have produced another absolute stunner of a wine with their Imperial Reserva 2017. Using fruit exclusively sourced from CVNEs own 40 year old plus vineyards all within the Rioja Alta region, the Imperial Reserva is primarily made up of tempranillo with just a few traces of garnacha and graciano.
No expense is spared in the viticulture or the winemaking in either time or cost and the results really pay dividends. From the very start, the nose is just so incredibly enticing, pencil shaving oak, the lightest scent of vanilla, crunchy red berried fruit and a warming earthiness and thats just the start. Dark black fruit follows with a real intensity, there are no rough edges here, just soft ripe tannins providing a lovely structure to hold and further escalate the wonderful purity of fruit within.
We have no doubt you could enjoy this wine with any food combination because it is so so drinkable but if you can find it, Iberico Pluma pork could really be a match made in heaven.