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Rioja
Imperial Gran Reserva
Bottle 75cl - 2017
Imperial Gran Reserva is made with grapes from the best vineyards in Rioja Alta, selected in 2017 from small estates such as Remedio and Encinas in Villalba, and Barbarroja and Antoñana in Torremontalbo, located between 550 and 650 m altitude. Harvesting is manual with double selection and the wine is fermented in small wooden vats, followed by aging for two years in French and American oak barrels and bottle aging. The 2017 vintage, affected by frost and drought but balanced by storms in July, produced a wine with a bright garnet color, aromas of licorice, forest fruits and balsamic notes, and an elegant and complex flavor.
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Production Zone
Rioja
Type of wine
Red
Winery
Imperial
Aging
Gran Reserva
Format
75cl
Grape variety used
Tempranillo: 85% | Graciano: 10% | Mazuelo: 5%
Alcohol content
13,5
Characteristics of the vineyard
Our best vineyards located in Rioja Alta are destined for the production of Imperial Gran Reserva.
In 2017 we selected the small Remedio and Encinas estates, located in Villalba between 550 and 650 m altitude very close to the Sierra de Toloño and with a climate of Atlantic and continental influence. These are farms of 12 hectares within the 42 hectares owned by CVNE in this town. The Barbarroja and Antoñana estates, with an age of 40 years and small production located in Torremontalbo were also chosen in this 2017 vintage. Rainfed vineyards, small surface area, goblet-trained, clay soils with areas of boulders, exposed to the South and poor in organic matter, gentle slopes and moderate continental climate.
Winemaking characteristics
The selected vineyards are harvested by hand in boxes and a double selection in the field and in the winery. The whole bunches are kept cold to improve fruit extraction and color stability.
The crushed grapes go by gravity to small wooden vats where we cold macerate for a few hours before starting the alcoholic fermentation with our own yeasts at a controlled temperature of between 28 and 29ºC.
During fermentation, punchdowns and delestages are carried out daily, as well as tastings to determine the moment of devatting. After malolactic fermentation in concrete, the wine is aged for two years in new French and American oak barrels. The barrels are racked every 8 months and we finish the process with aging in bottle in our centenary cellars until its release to the market.
Harvest data
The 2017 harvest of the Imperial vineyards begins on September 18 and ends on October 3.
We started the cycle with higher temperatures than usual, which led to an advance of the vegetative cycle that lasted 176 days. This advance, which also affected sprouting, was decisive for the frost suffered at the end of April, which greatly affected production that had already been depleted by the drought.
At the end of July, occasional storms helped to complete the vegetative balance, improving production expectations. The continental climate with the usual low night-time temperatures in the Rioja Alta helped to avoid over-ripening and to obtain a quality crop. Frequent ripening controls were also decisive for harvesting the grapes at the optimum moment and maintaining the freshness typical of the wines of the area.
Tasting notes
Intense layer of bright garnet color.
On the nose we discover the licorice very typical of the majority variety, forest fruits and aromas of clove, roasted coffee, cigar leaf, chocolate, caramel and certain balsamic notes, which naturally come from the time spent in barrels. All in perfect balance.
The entry on the palate is fine and elegant, with a deep and fatty passage that envelops the palate. The friendly tannin and the finish with a little acidity provide a long and complex aftertaste.
We recommend pairing this wine with red meats, game, oily fish, cured cheeses..
Recommended serving temperature 18ºC.
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