IMPERIAL GRAN RESERVA RIOJA 2016
| Grape: | 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo |
| Vineyard: | CVNE |
| Origin: | Rioja, Spain |
| Vintage: | 2016 |
| ABV%: | 14.5% |
| Colour: | Cherry red |
| Aromas: |
On the nose it is interesting for its complexity, highlighting the liquorice, the fruits of the forest and the aromas of cloves, roasted coffee, cigar leaf, chocolate, caramel and certain balsamic notes, which naturally come from the stay in the barrel |
| Flavours: | The palate is marked by a velvety tannin that gives it the elegance of this wine as well as having a very attractive aftertaste. In the glass it will evolve, expanding its aromatic variety. |
Vineyard
Our best vineyards in Rioja Alta are set aside for the production of Imperial Gran
Reserva. In 2016 we selected the small plots Remedio and Encinas, located in Villalba
between 550 and 650 m of altitude, very close to the Sierra de Toloño and with a
climate of Atlantic and continental influence. These plots represent a total of 12-
hectare among the 42 that CVNE owns in this town. The plots of Barbarroja and
Antoñanzas were also chosen in 2016, situated in Torremontalbo and where the low
yielding vines are 40 years old. The vines are bush trained, dry farmed and the plots
are small. The soils are clay with areas of river pebbles, are low in organic matter and
are situated on gentle south facing slopes. The climate is moderate continental.
Winemaker's Highlights
Rigorous work was held in the vineyard followed by hand harvesting into 20kg boxes
with a double selection in the field and in the cellar. Whole bunches were kept cool in
order to improve fruit extraction and color stability. To ensure gentle handling, the
grapes were fed by gravity to small oak vats where we macerate cold for a few hours
before starting alcoholic fermentation, with indigenous yeasts at a controlled
temperature of 28 -29oC. Punching and delestage are carried out daily during
fermentation, as well as tastings to determine the perfect moment for draining the
vat. Once completed, the wine was then aged in French and American oak barrels,
new and from 1 wine, for over 24 months with racking's every 8 months, followed by
minimum 36 months bottle ageing in our century-old cellars until its release.
Vintage
The 2016 manual harvest for Imperial started on the 10th of October and ended on
the 25th of October.
2016 was a year of excellent quality at CVNE, characterized by lack of rainfall between
May and October. The year began with a dry, mild winter and rain at the beginning of
spring.
August brought temperatures above average, and with no rain, delaying the ripening
process. The growing season lasted for 161 days. Fortunately, rain in September gave
some respite to the vines and enabled full ripening of the grapes. Although the
harvest was eventually later than usual, it was of great quality and with the vines in
excellent health conditions.