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Rioja
Imperial Reserve
75cl bottle - 2019
The wine Imperial Reserva comes from vineyards over 40 years old in Villalba, Briones and Torremontalbo, with a majority of Tempranillo grapes. The grapes are selected and fermented in oak and aged for 24 months in American and French oak barrels. It has a garnet color, with complex aromas of berries and spices, and in the mouth it is smooth, elegant and fresh, ideal to accompany red meats, game and cheeses.
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Production Zone
Rioja
Type of wine
Red
Winery
Imperial
Aging
Reserva
Format
75cl
Grape variety used
Tempranillo: 85% : Graciano, mazuelo and garnacha: 15%
Alcohol content
13
Characteristics of the vineyard
The grapes for Imperial come from our own vineyards in Villalba, Briones and Torremontalbo.
In Villalba, the small Remedio and Encinas estates, located between 550 and 650 m above sea level, very close to the Sierra de Toloño and with a climate of Atlantic and continental influence. These are farms of 12 hectares out of the 42 hectares owned by CVNE in this municipality.
In Torremontalbo, our San Quilez and Pico de Águila vineyards are located at an altitude of 450m and a somewhat more moderate climate than the Villalba plots. There are about 30 hectares of the total of 70 hectares owned by CVNE. Next door in Briones, Imperial selects 10 hectares on property (house vineyard).
All these vineyards are over 40 years old, the main variety is Tempranillo, although there are intermingled vines of other Rioja varieties such as Garnacha and Graciano. The soils are calcareous clay, poor in organic matter and of low production, mostly oriented to the south and with goblet pruning.
Winemaking characteristics
The grapes for the production of Imperial 2019 are selected in the vineyard and picked by hand in crates with a maximum capacity of 300 kgs. The grapes are kept refrigerated until they are transferred to the winery where, upon arrival, a second selection is made, removing the clusters and grapes that we consider do not have the quality required for the production of Imperial.
Alcoholic fermentation takes place in oak vats of different capacities, 80, 120 and 160 Hl depending on the size of the estate, and we use our own selected yeasts in the vineyards destined for Imperial. Maceration is extended for approximately 20 days during which we alternate different types of pumping over depending on the evolution of the fermentation and the tasting of the wine.
Malolactic fermentation takes place in concrete and wood before aging in 30% American oak barrels and 70% French oak barrels, being new and of one wine.
We keep the wine from the different vineyards separately, each estate ages the wine in the type of barrel that best suits its organoleptic characteristics and it is at the end of the aging process that we carry out the final assemblage before fining and bottling.
24 months in barrel, the rest in bottle (minimum 12 months) until its release to the market.
Harvest information
The harvest begins in the vineyards of Imperial on September 24 and ends on October 16.
The vegetative cycle lasted 185 days and the state of the vineyard was very good in terms of health throughout the area.
Due to temperature fluctuations and light rainfall during the months of May and June, the quantity of grapes was reduced, resulting in small, loose, less compact bunches, which increased the quality considerably.
The grapes were late compared to last year, but the low yields led to an earlier ripening, which evened out the harvest dates.
The grapes were harvested calmly and staggered, allowing for a good selection of grapes both in the field and in the winery.
Tasting notes
Garnet color with high robe.
In the nose we find good aromatic complexity provided by the balance between youth and aging where the aromas of berries, licorice, spices, balsamic, smoked ... encourage us to taste the wine.
In the mouth it has a smooth passage, marked by a tannin that gives it personality and elegance. The finish is fresh with a complex, long aftertaste and fruity notes.
As a pairing we recommend a good company, red meats, stews, game, cheeses, or simply to taste it alone in a relaxed atmosphere.
Recommended serving temperature 18ºC.
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