1970 Imperial Gran Reserva
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Tasting notes
The 1970 vintage was hot and produced powerful wines – earning it a reputation as one of Rioja’s finest vintages. After over 50 years, the wine is intensely savoury – combining soy, marmite and barnyard tones with intense, dark fruit. With air, the wine offers layers of spice (almost reminiscent of paprika), bacon frazzles and smoked almonds, complementing the concentrated core of fruit. It’s intense yet balanced, with bright acidity that keeps everything fresh and fills the long finish. Fermented in concrete, 12.97% alcohol and bottled March 1975.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Victor Utturia describes this as a classic, historic vintage. Perhaps it came down to bottle variation (of which there seemed to be quite a bit across the room) but I was not convinced. My tasting notes were as uncomfortable as I found the wine: Not such a pretty nose. Very woody. Bitter. Band-Aid. Heavy. Clove oil. A bit brutal. Tannins are still remarkably present. Smoked paprika. Smoked oil. You can chew this. Bacon. (TC)
The 1970 Imperial Gran Reserva reveals a brick/garnet rim. The bouquet is lovely showing the results of extended cellaring. Exceptionally refined and ethereal, notes of cinnamon, dried fruits, and other spices lead to an elegant, savory, fully intact wine that is a pleasure to drink. Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana (C.V.N.E.) is known colloquially to most Spanish wine drinkers as Cune. The company was founded in 1879 by the Real de Asua brothers and still remains in control of their direct descendants. In the 1920s ownership started Vina Real and in 2004 a new winery was built in Laguardia. In 1973 Contino was created to further the concept of the single estate winery and has since been one of the principal leaders in the resurrection of the nearly extinct Graciano grape. The Contino wines are made exclusively from the estate’s 253 acres located in Laserna near the town of Laguardia. The Reserva bottling is the mainstay of the Contino lineup produced from vines ranging in age from 25 to 60 years. The Contino Vina Del Olivo is the product of a dry farmed single vineyard of the same name planted in 1980. The blend is 90% Tempranillo with the balance Graciano and Carinena aged in new oak for 18 months. The Imperial label is affixed at C.V.N.E. only in the top vintages. Importer: Christopher Cannan, Europvin, www.europvin.com
Very good. Warm, wet summer. Deep ruby with lots or evolution at the rim. Big leap of maturity from the 1985 and 1970 – but apparently the vintages weren’t that great. Lovely evolution on the nose. Sweet, briary, jewelly. Round and robust. Still very much alive and kicking. Excellent life and roundness. Still masses of acidity and tannin too!. (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.