CVNE Imperial Reserva

Imperial Reserva 2016
CVNE  75cl  Red  ABV 14%
Various suppliers £22 – £27 (ours was on offer at Majestic for £19.99)

CVNE , or to give it its full name, Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España, was established in 1879 in Haro, where it is still based. It is one of the largest and most prestigious producers of rioja.

The Imperial Reserva is a classic wine and fortunately lives up to its reputation. It has spent two years in French and American oak before further aging in the bottle. The main grape is tempranillo, with small additions of mazuelo, graciano and garnacha.

A powerful wine with flavours of dark fruits and vanilla with a touch of herbs and a delicious long finish. I was a whisker away from giving it an Outstanding, but decided to be a tad mean and stop at Excellent Plus.

It is recommended to be paired with roasts, game and mature cheese.

Quality:  Excellent +

Value for Money: Very Good