# Imperial Gran Reserva (2019)

- **Producer:** Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo
- **Region:** Rioja, Spain
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €85
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blackberry, blackcurrant, plum, liquorice, black pepper, vanilla, cloves, cedar, smoke, leather, tobacco, mushroom, forest floor

## About this wine

Imperial Gran Reserva is the flagship bottling of Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (CVNE), an historic winery founded in 1879 in Haro's Barrio de la Estación by brothers Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa. Produced only in exceptional vintages, Imperial is crafted in a dedicated autonomous winery within the main estate. The name originates from a special batch created in the 1920s for the UK market bottled in an imperial pint size. Sourced from dry-farmed, 40+ year-old vines in high-altitude vineyards around Villalba and Torremontalbo in Rioja Alta, this wine represents one of Rioja's most celebrated Gran Reservas.

## Interesting facts

- The wine was named Imperial after a special bottling created in the 1920s for the UK market in an Imperial Pint size.
- Imperial is produced in an autonomous winery-within-a-winery in Haro dedicated exclusively to this single label.
- The bottle aging cellar at CVNE was designed by the office of legendary French engineer Gustave Eiffel.

## Food pairing

Rich, savory red meats and complex aged cheeses perfectly match the wine's depth and structure. The protein and fat from roasted meats soften the firm, polished tannins, while the lively acidity cuts through rich dishes.

## Wine making process

Hand-harvested grapes undergo double sorting before being chilled for 24 hours. Whole berries are gravity-fed into small oak vats for cold maceration. Fermentation takes place in oak vats using indigenous yeasts isolated from Imperial vineyards at 28-29°C, accompanied by daily pigeage and délestage. Malolactic fermentation occurs in concrete vats. The wine is aged for 24 months in French (70-80%) and American (20-30%) oak barrels with rackings every 8 months, followed by extensive bottle aging inside CVNE's historic Eiffel Cellar prior to release.