CVNE : Imperial Gran Reserva 2018

A lovely, harmonious red, with a lush quality to the chopped mulberry and cherry fruit that's trimmed nicely by plum skin acidity and fine-grained, sinewy tannins. Violet, licorice, iron, olive and herb details add complexity and appeal, echoing on the vibrant finish. Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo. Drink now through 2038. 4,166 cases made, 500 cases imported.

Mouthwatering freshness, driven by a firm acidic verve and chalky tannins, holds a core of prune, blackberry and black cherry with strength and ease. Powdery graphite, dark chocolate shavings, liquorice root, mocha and chocolate mousse build layers of brooding complexity. CVNE’s best vineyards in Rioja Alta provide the fruit for Imperial Gran Reserva – 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo in 2018, from Villalba and Torremontalbo. Fermentation with native yeasts was followed by malolactic in concrete vats, then the wine was aged for two years in oak barrels, 80% French and 20% American, new and second-use, with racking every eight months, and further bottle ageing before release. A wine that, still teasingly coiled, has a long life ahead.

Fresh blackberries, plums, smoked spices, graphite and cocoa powder. So juicy and firm, with fresh, abundant tannins coming from the fruit and spicy oak, but all woven in a fine-grained form, which clearly shows aging potential. Medium- to full-bodied with a very long finish. Try after 2026.