Private Collection: Old & Recent Vintage Rioja from CVNE
We grew up in a Francophile world of wine; we had hardly ever tasted old Rioja before our introduction in 2001 to CVNE and Lopez-Heredia. Anyone who has been lucky enough to taste those wines will testify to their splendor in old age. Being Francophiles, the finesse and depth of the Rioja wines reminded us of fine vintages of Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion in particular. This isn’t too surprising, given the cross-pollination* between Bordeaux and Rioja, and the taste parallels between old Cab blends and old Tempranillo, but we hadn’t realized that Rioja could age on a similar trajectory to that of Bordeaux. In a haphazard way we’ve since added to our experience of old Rioja, with fantastic bottles of CVNE, Lopez, Riojanas, La Rioja Alta, Murrieta, etc. These are special wines, and it’s wonderful that they’re still what must be considered, these days, to be reasonably priced.
CVNE is one of the foundational wineries of Rioja, dating to 1879; the original winery, called Cune, is still in Haro. Focused on fruit from Rioja Alta, the production includes the wine called Imperial (after the “Imperial” pint / .500ml bottles that were first used); Imperial is now released in the best vintages as Reserva, and in exceptional vintages as Gran Reserva.
CVNE also has a winery in Rioja Alavesa called Vina Real, the name which is used for Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva bottlings.
CVNE also has a winery in Rioja Alavesa called Vina Real, the name which is used for Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva bottlings.
*Very briefly stated: in the 1850s, the arrival in France of oidium (a type of mildew that ruins grapes) and then phylloxera in the 1860s, impelled Bordeaux winemakers to move to Spain; among other innovations, they introduced aging in small wood barrels. By the 1870s France was a huge market for Rioja; this success meant that most of the great historical names in Rioja winemaking were established by 1890. Then the vine maladies arrived in Spain, while at the same time the French vineyards began to recover…
+ We can always use a refresher regarding wine regulations. In Rioja:
Crianza requires a year of aging in wood, and a year in bottle before release;
Reserva, theoretically produced in select years, spends year in wood and 2 years in bottle;
Gran Reserva see two years in wood, and 3 years in bottle.
Crianza requires a year of aging in wood, and a year in bottle before release;
Reserva, theoretically produced in select years, spends year in wood and 2 years in bottle;
Gran Reserva see two years in wood, and 3 years in bottle.
