2001 Real de Asua
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
2001 is widely recognised as an exceptional vintage in Rioja, and you feel it here unquestionably - no need to think too hard about it, this just makes you smile, and makes you want to share it with a friend. Silky liquorice, black cherry, spice, cloves, cedar, textbook Rioja, profoundly delicious, flavours are precise and well drawn out, with substance through the mid palate, plenty of tannins but easy to sink into. New French oak for malolactic and ageing.
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Wow. So decadent and rich with incredible ripe fruit, foie gras, truffles and other mushroom. Full body, round and velvety with ultra-soft tannins. Cherry stone, hints of dried fruit and a fruity finish. Truly great. Only in magnums. Limited release. Perfect now. Long life ahead of it.
The 2001 Real de Asua Gran Reserva reveals no age in its medium purple color. It has an already complex perfume from its extended stay in barrel and bottle. Aromas of cedar, Asian spices, incense, and black cherry lead to a velvety-textured, savory wine with exceptional balance and elegance. It will provide much pleasure now through 2021. Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana (C.V.N.E.) is known colloquially to most Spanish wine drinkers as Cune. The company was founded in 1879 by the Real de Asua brothers and still remains in control of their direct descendants. In the 1920s ownership started Vina Real and in 2004 a new winery was built in Laguardia. In 1973 Contino was created to further the concept of the single estate winery and has since been one of the principal leaders in the resurrection of the nearly extinct Graciano grape. The Contino wines are made exclusively from the estate’s 253 acres located in Laserna near the town of Laguardia. The Reserva bottling is the mainstay of the Contino lineup produced from vines ranging in age from 25 to 60 years. The Contino Vina Del Olivo is the product of a dry farmed single vineyard of the same name planted in 1980. The blend is 90% Tempranillo with the balance Graciano and Carinena aged in new oak for 18 months. The Imperial label is affixed at C.V.N.E. only in the top vintages. Importer: Christopher Cannan, Europvin, www.europvin.com
(100% tempranillo) Dark red. Exotic aromas of cherry compote, cassis, cola, seared meat, anise and vanilla, with a strong smoky undertone. Palate-staining dark berry flavors are complicated by notes of vanilla bean and succulent herbs. The spiciness gains power with air and adds vivacity to the long, dark fruit-dominated finish, which is floral and gently tannic. This doesn't act like a wine that's almost a decade old and should reward further cellaring.
About the producer
CVNE, or Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España (the Northern Spanish Wine Company), is one of Rioja’s leading names. With its various brands – Cune, Viña Real, Contino and Imperial – CVNE produces both large volumes and high quality, with its Imperial Gran Reserva one of the region’s finest wines.