CUWS L 11 - CVNE Rioja

Tasted Friday March 11, 2011.
Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana- CVNE.
Distributors are Hatch Mansfield, tasting led by Quentin Sadler.
Prices are approximate retail by the bottle.


2007 Vina Real Crianza
£11. B+

Forward, ripe dark fruits, dark cherry, cassis, bramble, smells sweet, somewhat fragrant, slight touch of spice. Plenty of fruit, bit tart, nice acidity, mouthfeel rather thin, Fleets past, easy drinking. Lovely nose, palate lets it down slightly.

2004 Vina Real Reserva
£17. B+(+)

Good fruit but not that forward, sweet vanilla tones, touch of spice, cloves, maybe even cedar. Palate is quite filing, definitely step up from the crianza, fruit is there but not jumping at you, plenty of acidity, fresh even. Still some tannins to soften out, grips slightly.

2004 Imperial Reserva
£20. B+(+)

Again nice fruit on the nose, sweetness is there too, fragrant, almost floral, some developed tones, earthy, must, leathery, you got to work at it. So settled, touch savoury, still fruit there, good concentration, full mouthfeel, again will soften with time. Not fruit driven, more secondary.

1999 Imperial Gran Reserva
£27. A-

Actually smells somewhat burgundian, cherries, slight musty, earthy, rusty, sweet oak there too. Palate still fresh, plenty of acidity, generous mouthfeel, settled, sour cherry, touch savoury, still lively, bright. Mature, ready, traditional rioja?

1999 Vina Real Gran Reserva
£21. B+

Settled, more mature nose, leathery, clove, cinnamon. Still some fruit, maybe a bit bigger than the imperial, plenty of racy acidity, quite lively still, the more fruit driven, more modern style?


2005 Contino Reserva
£25. B+

Plenty of fruit, quite forward, crushed red fruit. Ruby, translucent, slight cocoa, dusty, sweet vanilla, still nice acidity. Drinking very well, approachable.

2007 Contino Vina del Olivo
£52. A-(+)

Deeper, more opaque, blackberry cassis, fantastic depth, touch herby, cloves, cinnamon, cedar, some meaty, savoury, bacon, definitely oak. Good concentration of fruit, weight, dark fruits, still with tannins that could soften, big style, almost new world, good length. Shows well now, but will develop another 10 + years easy.

2002 Pagos de Vina Real
£50. B+(+)

Big nose, jumps out, savoury, gamey, bacon, plenty of smoke, sweet spice, cloves, cinnamon, somewhat hot and cooked, fantastic depth. Really big, plenty of fruit, whooah, huge style, palate isn't quite as big as the nose. Given age, still big, new world style, burly, flamboyant.