2009 Rioja Gran Reserva
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Tasting notes
Deep, bright-rimmed ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of red fruit liqueur, vanilla, mocha and licorice, with a suggestion of pipe tobacco emerging slowly. Sweet, sappy and broad on entry, then tighter in the mid-palate, offering suave cherry-vanilla, coconut and floral pastille flavors that are sharpened by a spicy element. Closes long and smooth, with an emphatic echo of intense red fruit and velvety tannins adding grip.
Critic scores
Average Score
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
The top of the Cune range before getting to Imperial is a new wine, born by chance, mostly for the export markets with the aim of offering a classical Gran Reserva at affordable prices. I'm talking about the 2009 Cune Gran Reserva, a red from a warm and dry vintage, saved by some rain in mid-September. A blend of 85% Tempranillo 10%, Graciano and 5% and Mazuelo from vineyards in the Rioja Alta subzone, it shows roasted aromas mixed with notes of black fruit and a touch of leather. It is also already showing some incipient complexity and tertiary notes, so it offers more than just fruit and oak. It undergoes a post-fermentation maceration to extract color and structure before maturing in oak barrels for two years. Nevertheless, the wine is gentle in the palate with the CVNE softness and approachability. A Gran Reserva for a wide audience at very good price for the category. Approachable and able to age. 50,000 bottles produced.
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.