CVNE Imperial Reserva Rioja 2019

95 points James Suckling
A precise, layered nose that shows excellent purity despite some sweet oak spices. More berry fruit comes out as you give it some time in the glass. Plums, cherries, red berries with dark mushrooms, cured meat, grilled spices, stones, vanilla and iodine. Juicy, spiced berries quickly tighten up on the medium- to full-bodied palate with dusty, powerful tannins, allowing it to expand into the finish. It grows on the palate and the creaminess is already chiselled. This will age beautifully in the next 10-15 years. Drinkable now, but better from 2026.

94 points Vinous
The 2019 Reserva Imperial is a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha, 5% Graciano, and 5% Mazuelo sourced from Villalba, Briones and Torremontalbo in Rioja Alta. Aged for 24 months in a combination of French (70%) and American (30%) oak barrels, this dark garnet wine reveals enticing aromas of blackberry and ripe plums from the Tempranillo, complemented by hints of hops and herbs from the other varieties. Dry, intense and juicy on the palate, it offers a fairly chalky and energetic mouthfeel. This is a classic Rioja with a nod to fruit-forwardness.

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2019 Imperial Reserva was cropped from a very healthy year with good ripeness and balance, a powerful vintage with a 185-day vegetative cycle. They look for finesse, precision and power, a blend of Tempranillo and 15% Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha put through optical sorting and fermented in oak vats with yeasts selected from the Imperial vineyards and a 20-day maceration, then it matured in barrels, 70% French and the rest American, for 24 months. It has 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.61. It feels very classical, with finesse and power, balanced and serious. It has tannins that call for food. 150,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2022.

PRODUCT DETAILS

• SKUPJ01789
• TypeRed Wine
• Sub-TypeTempranillo
• CountrySpain
• RegionRioja
• Size750mL
• ABV14%
• Vintage2019

RATINGS & AWARDS

• JS 95