1947 Imperial Gran Reserva
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Tasting notes
An amazing wine to tasted, the 1947 CVNE Imperial has a reputation – one that this bottle more than lived up to. Coffee and tobacco notes with bright fruit – ripe red cherry and raspberry, as well as florals, incense, black tea and sage, alongside smoky perfume. It’s long and fresh on the palate, seamless and fully resolved but pure and persistent, with a Bovril edge to the finish which is vibrant and long. Gorgeous now – drink it while you have the chance. Fermented in concrete, 12.4% alcohol and bottled August 1960.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
A wine that spent 13 years in barrel between harvest and bottle. Mouth-filling juice and joy. A hint of cherry, cigar, wrinkled tobacco leaves, clementine, sandalwood. So much juice! Succulent, still. Tannins are tissue-paper tracings. Soft but contoured. Such fine spices. Tannins like rose petals. This is breathtaking, haunting, like watching sunset over terracotta rooftops with the scent of lavender in the lilac bruise of the morning light. (TC)
The two bottles uncorked of the 1947 Imperial Gran Reserva had very low levels (the stock level at the winery is getting even lower...). The vegetative cycle of the year was quite long, and the grapes achieved good ripeness to reach 13% alcohol after fermenting in concrete and maturing in old 225-liter American oak barrels for 13 years—a slightly lower alcohol and shorter élevage than the Viña Real from the same year. This has more development and more volatile sensations with a metallic, iron-like twist. I've had better bottles of this wine in the past, but you know, at age 75, there are not great wines, there are great bottles... Despite the official rating of the vintage by the appellation (Muy Buena, Very Good), at CVNE they had an internal rating where they considered 1947 to be an excellent vintage.
Very dark crimson. Just the slightest hint of something a little rank. Cough medicine and mint on the nose. Then a bit astringent and mousy on the palate. A bit dead. (JR)
About the producer
CVNE, or Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España (the Northern Spanish Wine Company), is one of Rioja’s leading names. With its various brands – Cune, Viña Real, Contino and Imperial – CVNE produces both large volumes and high quality, with its Imperial Gran Reserva one of the region’s finest wines.