Our most beloved Rioja producer is BACK today!

The iconic CVNE, their flagship project Viñedos del Contino, and its top-of-the-line GRAN Reserva…

Wine Spectator raves “CVNE has refused to go to extremes, instead taking a measured approach to the struggle between tradition and innovation” having crowned them with a “#1 Wine of the Year” award in 2013 for their “ability to balance past and future in such delicious harmony.”

Only a Rioja can deliver this value, and only Wine Spies can make it an extreme value. Out there mostly $65-80+ but NEVER seen under $45, oh, and that by the way is easily the BEST price anywhere.

CVNE, or Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España is an institution. Die-hard Rioja fans know CVNE wines need time to evolve into their best version. And this Gran Reserva has oomph to shed yet it’s at an oh-so-IRRESISTIBLE place today. You can still put it away since winemaking here is as traditional as it gets, they age gracefully for many years.

Like this one. It’s in a happy place today, albeit with refined, satiny tannins that hint at great longevity to come. There are plenty of freshly picked wild berries and cherries in store, along with nuances of dates and dried apricots. Layers of spices and herbs add further complexity, as a towering finish lingers effortlessly over the minute mark. With a crown roast of lamb, this is your ticket to heaven and back.

Does that leave you feeling all wine-nerdy like we are? Check out “10 Things every wine lover should know about CVNE” here.

But make sure you checked out first though - this just won’t last.

97 Points – James Suckling

“Plenty of sandalwood, cedar, black-fruit and walnut aromas. So perfumed. Just a hint of dried fruit to add complexity. Full-bodied and layered with firm tannins, yet the ripe fruit is layered in-between. Gorgeous, succulent finish. One for the cellar. Drink or hold.”