CVNE, Rioja Imperial Reserva other_regions_italy

CVNE, Rioja Imperial Reserva other_regions_italy85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo Matured for 4 years in French and American oak barrels, 2yrs in bottle. Strong coconut aroma and plenty of red fruit. Couldn't be anything but traditional Rioja. Then surprisingly and attractively savoury on the palate. Rich but fresh. Dry, fine tannins. Still very youthful. Benchmark. (JH)

and 6% Merlot really tastes and feels great

but perhaps this is the ‘minerality’ aimed for

ripe and spicy nose replete with citrus blossom

with a good underpinning of chalky

almost as good as Las Beatas

Brought up in a combination of smaller barrels and larger foudre

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon starts off dry and cedary

the 2019 vintage was a return to a classic growing season in the Willamette Valley

spice and earth-suffused cassis and plum-scented nose

6% Cabernet Franc

intensely flavored and medium-sweet

fully integrated tannins and a lingering cherry note