2019 CVNE Monopole Clasico Blanco Rioja 750 ml

The 2019 CVNE Monopole Clasico Blanco Rioja is Spanish white wine at its most classic.

Monopole is Spain’s oldest white wine brand, having been produced since 1915. At its centennial, CUNE decided to revive this traditional style of wine—just like it was made in the 1970s.

To resurrect what Advocate called “the more serious bottlings of 40 and 50 years ago,” CUNE brought “The Wizard” Ezequiel Garcia, who crafted Monopole from the 1940s to the 1970s, out of retirement. Garcia passed away in the fall of 2017—but not before he made the 2015 vintage and sketched out a detailed description of the process they used in decades past, to benefit future winemakers.

This 2019 is made in the exact style that Garcia illustrated. It’s composed of Viura, the principal grape of the Gran Reserva Rioja Blancos known to age for decades. The grapes were softly pressed before being clarified in concrete and fermented in stainless steel. After the wine spent eight months in oak botas, a small amount of Manzanilla sherry was blended in, contributing acidity, adding chamomile and dried fruit aromas, and lengthening the finish. The finished wine marries the rich mouthfeel of a Rioja Reserva Blanco, with the lively acidity and nuttiness of Manzanilla. 

Cune, also known as C.V.N.E., has been synonymous with Rioja since 1879. Their Monopole Blanco was a ubiquitous sight in Spanish restaurants from the 1920s to the 1970s. Eventually, though, that barrel-aged style of wine fell out of fashion. As this bottle shows, it’s delicious—so here’s to its return!