Skip to the beginning of the images gallery

2018 Cune (Cvne) Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja

James Suckling

In stock

A "classic among classics" in top Rioja, the Cune Imperial Gran Reserva is stellar. Huge density and flavour concentration is framed by perfect balance of acidity, tannin structure and the refinement that can only come from 36 months in the best oak. After further years settling in bottle, this wine is released ready to decant (well) with food or cellar further. One of the finest Rioja on offer, this compares to aged French wines of four times the price. Collect!

$130.00 in mixed 6+ or $145.00 per bottle

Overview

Grape

85% Tempranillo, 10/% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo

Its Origins

The Cune label now occupies the mid-range of the Cvne hierarchy, but the name is based in the family's orginal hometown of Haro, Rioja Alta. It was there that Cvne were established in 1879 by the Real de Asúa brothers, Eusebio and Raimundo, and over the decades they became and remained one of Rioja's most reliable sources of high quality wine. Soon comprising three bodegas (Asua de Real, Cune and Contino) they maintained the distinctiveness of each, with the Cune label's stylistic integrity built around a balance of old and new style Rioja: clean, juicy fruit with oak influence and ageworthy acid and tannin structure.

What The Critics Say

96/100 JamesSuckling.com, Zekun Shuai

"Fresh blackberries, plums, smoked spices, graphite and cocoa powder. So juicy and firm, with fresh, abundant tannins coming from the fruit and spicy oak, but all woven in a fine-grained form, which clearly shows aging potential. Medium- to full-bodied with a very long finish. Try after 2026."

95+/100 Parker's Wine Advocate, Luis Guttierez

"The 2018 Imperial Gran Reserva was cropped from a year with the weather from yesteryear, a cold winter with frost, snow and abundant rain, a cool spring and mild summer that resulted in a long vegetative cycle of 180 days and a late harvest between October 8th and 26th. It has similar parameters to the 2017 I tasted next to it, with 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.55 and 6.03 grams of acidity, but it shows fresher. It feels very complete, fresh and vibrant, with more depth and tannin. It's still quite young and should develop nicely in bottle with that extra kick from the cooler year. It was a smaller crop, and they produced 56,000 bottles. It was bottled in July 2021." Drink 2025 - 2038

Stats & Food Matching

Variety	Tempranillo
Region	Rioja
Closure	Cork
Volume	750ml
Maturity	2025 - 2038

This Wine Goes Well With

Taste

Delivery & Returns

We deliver throughout New Zealand and to some locations overseas. Our deliveries are made by trusted third party carriers. For further details on prices and delivery options please go to DELIVERY INFORMATION section of our site.

If for any reason you are not entirely happy with your order or you suspect that they may be affected by a quality issue, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will remedy the problem straight away. Contact us on 0800 422 767.