Imperial Reserva 2018

CVNE (hentet 17. okt. 2026): Imperial Reserva 2018 – teknisk ark (producentens tekst, engelsk): The vineyard Grapes destined for Imperial come from our own vineyards in Villalba, Briones and Torremontalbo. In 2018 in Villalba the plots of Arigote, La Mina and Caparrito were selected, at 600m altitude, a total of 12 hectares at the foot of the Sierra de Toloño. Climate of Atlantic and continental influence. In Torremontalbo, our vineyards San Quilez and Pico de Aguila are at an altitude of 450 meters and the climate here is more moderate than the plots in Villalba. These vines make up 30 hectares of the total of 70 owned by CVNE. Nearby in Briones, Imperial is selected from 10 hectares of our own vineyards. All these vines are over 40 years old and although the main variety is Tempranillo, other traditional Riojan varieties such as Garnacha and Graciano can be found interplanted with it. The soils are chalky clay, poor in organic material, low yielding and mainly south facing and the vines are bush trained. Winemaking Hand harvesting into crates with a maximum capacity of 300 kg. From the moment of its collection, the grapes are kept in refrigerated trucks located in the vineyard to avoid oxidation, stabilize color and preserve the aromas of the fruit. On arrival at the winery, a further selection of the grapes was made on a sorting table after which they were transferred by gravity to large oak vats of different capacities, 80, 120 and 160 Hl, depending on the size of each plot for the alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts. On this harvest we also inaugurated a new winemaking room with small stainless steel and concrete fermentation tanks, thus complementing the production in vats. The wine was then aged for two years in French and American new and one wine oak barrels. Each plot does its ageing individually and in the type of barrel which best suits its organoleptic characteristics. After 24 months its when we assemblage the final Imperial. The wine ages for a minimum of 12 months in bottle in our centenary cellars until its release to market. Vintage / Harvest description This vintage year takes us back to La Rioja of old days, with heavy frosts throughout winter, snow and abundant precipitation. Spring was also cold and wet followed by a warm summer but without excessive temperatures and resulting in good ripening of the grapes. These conditions provided a long, slow ripening period which enabled the production of great, intense wines, with medium colour and alcohol levels and good acidity. The 2018 harvest of Imperial began at CVNE on October 8th and finished on October 26th. Tasting notes Good garnet color layer. High aromatic intensity where the aromas intertwine leaving a complexity worthy of this wine. We find aromas of wild forest fruits, liquorice, spices, cloves, pepper, balsamic notes, roasted coffee, etc. On the palate it presents round and friendly tannins, leaving us with a long and pleasant aftertaste with fruity notes. All this results in an extremely elegant wine with its own personality. Perfect for pairing with Iberian ham, Spanish “cocido”, red meat, game, cure chesses and to be enjoyed on its own. Recommended service temperature 18ºC. • Type of wine: Red • Region of production: Rioja • Year: 2018 • Grape varieties: 85% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha • Type of bottle: Bordeaux • Bottle size: : 75cl., 1.5l., 37.5 cl. • Alcoholic volume: 14% • Total acidity: 6.05 • pH: 3.57 • Volatile acidity: 0.71 • SO2 Free/Total: 32/82 • Total Polyphenols Index: 85 Analytical data • Bottling date: August 2021 • Suitable for vegans • CVNE vintage rating: Excellent Imperial Reserva 2018 Imperial is one of the great names in Spanish winemaking. It is a true classic in Rioja and was first made in the 1920’s. It is only made in the most special vintages. • Aging and barrel type: 24 months in American and French oak barrels