We simply ‘Cune’ believe our eyes Operatives.

Eighteen bucks for a white Rioja Riserva? What’s next, unicorns??!

May as well be. When this first came out, we thought the $40 was a giveaway. If you’re a fan of serious white Bordeaux, barrel-aged Napa Sauvignon Blancs, any fine or esoteric rich white for that matter, you owe yourselves to try this deliciousness. Have trouble believing how good a deal this is? So did we, read the raving reviews for affirmation, you just can’t go wrong here.

As Vinous wrote, “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.” And per Wine Advocate this is the inaugural return of a style hugely popular back when, “a style of wine they produced in the 1950s and 1960s - dry wines aged in barrel with Viura grapes, looking for more tension and working more in the selection of oak.”

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. To sip and savor over time as it opens and unfolds layer by layer, one of the most complex whites you will experience. The nose offers up citrus, fresh, rind, and pith, with stone fruits, blossoms, and exotic nuances of pollen, and spices. It’s fresh on the palate, fat, and creamy with apples and pears, hints of white tea and cider, all linger effortlessly as the palette of colorful flavors continue to unfold into a complex and compete crescendo that echoes for over a minute.

VinePair asks, “when people consider Rioja, it’s likely that they think of red wine, which accounts for more than 90 percent of Rioja’s production. But did you know that there are some phenomenal white Riojas?”

Here’s one FOR A SONG. Get it while you can.

93 Points – Tim Atkin MW

“Last made in the 1970s and now relaunched as part of the CVNE range in 2018, this Reserva illustrates why the cooler vintage was so good for whites. Elegant, floral and focused, it comes from vineyards in Torremontalbo and combines notes of beeswax, citrus fruit and understated oak. Drink 2021-2028.”

92 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

“CVNE are working to produce white wines in the Reserva and Gran Reserva, an exciting development for the future, but we already have the first example here. So, quite exciting and dynamic times at one of the classical Rioja wineries… The first wine of Reserva and Gran Reserva whites is already here in the 2018 Cune Blanco Reserva, a style of wine they produced in the 1950s and 1960s, dry wines aged in barrel. They used Viura grapes from nine hectares of whites planted in 1973 at 400 meters in altitude on clay-rich soils in the village of Torremontalvo. In the cooler 2018, the grapes were picked in mid-October, a little later than normal, and the juice from the pressing of the full clusters fermented in a combination of concrete and oak vats and also some barriques. It matured in barrel for 18 months. This is a return to the classical style of Cune Blanco Reserva that was produced in the past in the winery in Haro, but the wines were never really exported and were consumed locally. The wine has a very spicy and smoky nose, with aromas of dried flowers and chamomile, rich and easy to drink, a fresher style than Tondonia, as here they look for something flattering with aging potential. This is the first in a series of whites that might see a Gran Reserva in the future. But if they can do it in 2019, I will taste it in five years’ time… Starting over! Drink 2020-2028.”

91 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous

“Light straw. Ripe citrus and orchard fruits, honeysuckle, vanilla and a hint of succulent herbs on the mineral accented nose. Silky and focused on the palate, offering sappy Meyer lemon and pear nectar flavors complemented by suggestions of sweet butter and fennel. Finishes very long and smooth, with a repeating floral note and a sweetening touch of honey. Drink 2021-2027.”