2012 Imperial, Gran Reserva, C.V.N.E., Rioja, Spain

Raised in new and used French and American oak barrels for two years.

Vivid ruby-red. An intensely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe raspberry, cherry cola, potpourri and exotic spices, with a suave vanilla top note and a smoky mineral flourish. 

Sweet and broad in the mouth, offering lush red fruit, spice cake, mocha and coconut flavours that steadily tighten up on the back half. Finishes extremely long and spicy, with a resonating floral quality, well-knit tannins and lingering oak spice notes. This one is still quite young.

Drink 2023 - 2035

The current release, the 2012 Imperial Gran Reserva, checks in as a blend of 85% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano. 

Classic Rioja notes of blackcurrants, tobacco, toasted spices, balsamic, and lead pencil give way to a full-bodied, beautifully textured 2012 with ripe, supple tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. 

It's beautifully done and just a joy to drink, although I do not doubt it has another 15 years of longevity. It's not a powerhouse, but I love its elegance and finesse-driven style.

Drink 2020 - 2035

The wine that represents the traditional and serious reds from Haro, the 2012 Imperial Gran Reserva is a classical blend of Tempranillo with 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo that matured in the barrel for two years. 

It has a textbook serious Haro nose, with dark spices, ripe fruit, something balsamic and a round full-bodied palate within the straight and serious style of the wine. 2012 was warm, but the wines were fresher than those from 2011. This has fine, slightly grainy tannins with a good grip. A textbook Imperial Gran Reserva.

I’ve put the wines from Viña Real and CVNE together, as they have traditionally been brands of the same winery, and even though Viña Real now has a separate winery, ownership and the winemaking team are the same. They have been extending their vineyards to use a higher percentage of their own grapes for their wines.

Drink 2019 - 2032