Rioja Imperial Reserva, Compañia Vinicola del Norte de España (CVNE) 2015

A tight and linear red now with very long and direct palate that is driven and intense. Medium to full body, bright blackberry and mineral character. Just a baby now. Give it three to four years to soften. A beauty. Try in 2021.

A worthy follow up of the 2008, the 2010 imperial reserva is the usual blend of tempranillo with 10% graciano and 5% mazuelo (aka cariñena) fermented with yeasts selected from their own vineyards and matured in american and french oak barrels for two years before being fined with egg whites and bottled unfiltered. this was a textbook rioja alta vintage that produced very balanced, fresh wines with plenty of stuffing. this is no exception, showing some fresh orange-peel notes intermixed with hints of leather, blackberries, cherries and pepper with the oak perfectly folded into the fruit. the texture is soft and the tannin fine-grained. it has good acidity and flavors that start to reveal some development and complexity, although this feels very young. a textbook reserva with the ability to develop in bottle. 150,000 bottles produced.

A bright ruby colour in the glass, this is sweet, soft and juicy on the nose - chock full of plums, cherries, coconut and vanilla. The palate is silky smooth, with fine tannins gently framing the ripe, polished fruit at the core. Layers of sweet spice and leather build through to a long but fruit-driven finish. There are hints of more traditional Rioja in the notes of leather and coconut, but the purity of fruit and savoury spices make this a much more slick, juicy and refined style. Perfect to drink now or over the next 5-7 years.