2014 Cune Imperial Reserva Rioja 750 ml

Sur Lucero MS in Rioja at Cune

The 2014 Cune Imperial Reserva is a wine that rides that perfect line between being traditional and modern in style. It’s that unique balance between Rioja traditionalism and modern technique that won the 2004 Cune Imperial Reserva the #1 spot in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 feature in 2013—the first time a Spanish wine had ever taken the number one slot overall on the list. Ten vintages later it’s that same character in the 2014 release that is enchanting critics again, winning 95 points and a rave review from Tim Atkin MW, calling it “sappy, structured yet wonderfully refreshing” and declaring “Imperial Reserva is a wine I’ve bought and drank with enormous pleasure over the years, and a case of this will be heading in the direction of my cellar too.” This is classic Rioja from a producer I love, and a remarkable value at $35 a bottle.

On the hot morning of July 20th of 2018, I was driving from Madrid towards Haro, Rioja’s wine capital, where the region’s oldest and most famed producers are located, Cune, Muga, López de Heredia and La Rioja Alta, all within a three minute walk from each other. As you approach Haro, the elevation slowly climbs and the mountains grow on the horizon, before you drop back down to a plateau where you find the town of Haro at around 1,500 feet of elevation. While the morning was HOT in Madrid, I was pounded with rain on my drive through the mountains, however, the following morning when I headed out for Cune, conditions were absolutely pristine!

What I also found to be pristine was Cune’s wine making facility. Every piece of equipment from the floor to the vats was simply spotless, reminding me of the interiors of Harlan Estate, Vega Sicilia, or even The French Laundry kitchen. This attention to detail flows into the glass, showing a level of polish and elegance. I would not call these wines completely modern while the use of technology is present, the philosophy is steeped in tradition.

Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana which goes by the acronym C.V.N.E owns the brand Cune, and the company was founded in 1879 by two brothers—they have only had six head winemakers in the ensuing 139 years of production. Cune’s fortunes rose with the region, which came into prominence on the international stage as Europe’s vineyards were ravaged by phylloxera at the end of the 19th century. Demand for wine developed the area surrounding Haro—built around a train station—at hyperspeed, making it the first town in Spain to boast street lighting. Today, you can still hear the train rumbling through town.

Cune began producing the Imperial Reserva in the 1920s, named for the imperial pint-sized bottles being exported to the United Kingdom. Ever since, it has remained what Wine Spectator calls “the benchmark bottling,” consistently made from the best hand-picked grapes of the 50-acre parcel in Rioja Alta’s Villalba. Modern updates include refrigerating grapes before destemming, a technique often used in New World Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, which helps reduce the presence of tannins and harshness from skin solids. Fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled vessels and rooms, maturing in traditional American oak, as well as French oak casks.

The resulting wine has everything I love about Rioja: Ripeness and a little tannic grip, with clean red fruit and dried herbs that are reminiscent of great Sangiovese. The core of this wine shows ripe cherry, lightly smoked cranberry with background notes of iodine, vanilla scented coconut and sandalwood spice. All of this, is contained within a focused finish that is long and defined.