Mission Codename Kingly
A decade ago, THIS was Wine Spectator’s #1 Wine of the Year.
Then, for a while, it cost twice to thrice the price, IF you could find any out there.
Today, we share our allocation, with 98 POINTS for just $59 per bottle, the BEST price in America!
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous points out: “Over the past decade the quality of these traditionally made wines has been on a steady rise. Today I would count CVNE among the region’s top producers, up and down the range. The top-end Imperial bottlings are made from a 28-hectare vineyard in Rioja Alta. These wines have established an enviable track record for long aging. Bottles of the legendary 1968 Gran Reserva are still going strong, with what seems to be years of life ahead.”
Convinced? Need a virtually immortal classic in your stash that even your grandchildren will appreciate but it won’t cost an arm and a leg? This is the one. HALF PRICED TODAY - where no Imperial has gone before.
Youthful as it may be, pop one in the morning and let it breathe in a decanter, to reveal its wonders for the fast-approaching nighttime ahead. Sip and savor over hours as it opens and unfolds layer after layer, one of the most complex beverages your body will experience.
It may initially seem as if fifty bucks is on the steep side from a value standpoint, however for a red this fine, it’s a steal actually. Too bad it’s also highly limited as demand for “one of the best Imperial Gran Reservas in a very long time” is high amongst the collector and connoisseur hive.
Only a few cases sadly… will they last a few hours? We think not.
98 Points – James Suckling
“Polished and structured with firm, very fine tannins. Lots going on here, with layers of black fruit, dried spices, graphite, coconut and cracked pepper. Full-bodied and so intense. Keeps going. Long. The tannins are so fine and so numerous. One of the greatest modern Gran Reservas. Try in 2025.”
What the Winery Says
2016 'Imperial' Gran Reserva Rioja
- Winemaker
- Maria Larrea
- Varietals
- 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo
- Vintage
- 2016
- Alcohol
- 14.5%
- Appellation
- Rioja DOCa, Spain
- Subregion
- Rioja Alta
- First vintage
- 1920
- Total acidity
- 5.2 g/L
- pH
- 3.62
- Aging
- 24 months in barrel + 36 months in bottle
- Barrels
- 80% French, 20% American oak