2015 CVNE (Cune) Imperial Rioja Reserva Spain 750 ml

One of Spain’s Greatest Reds

In the crowded field of imports, Cune’s 2015 Imperial Rioja Reserva stands head and shoulders above its competition.

Today’s release embodies why savvy collectors pile this in their cellars—Cune is a name that defines Rioja, quality, and the best of Spanish wines. If Cune is new to you, it also represents a stellar value, and packs the complexity of $100 wines into a bottle that’s half the cost.

The 2015 Imperial is a universally high-scoring wine that Vinous praised for its “explosive, seductively perfumed aromas of dark berry preserves, cherry-cola, incense, floral oils and vanilla.” James Suckling awarded it 95 points, calling it “a beauty.” Bursting with mountain berry fruit, laced with tobacco and black licorice, vanilla and violets, we couldn’t agree more.

At under $40 with a 95-point badge of honor, this is a wine that justifies a case buy with ease, and energy, and a deep sense of excitement.

The mere mention of the name “Cune” is enough to convey the highest sense of quality in Rioja, and within Cune’s renowned portfolio, the Imperial Rioja Reserva is unique. The Imperial is crafted in its own dedicated winery, with no expense spared in its production, from the manual harvesting of the 40-year-old-plus vineyards to two selections of fruit, to the 24 months of aging in American and French oak prior to a further two years of time in the bottle before release, which gives the crimson wine incredible spice character and depth of flavor.

Critic James Suckling loved its “very long and direct palate,” praising it as “driven and intense.” Vinous couldn’t get enough of it, calling the ‘15 Imperial as “sweet and seamless in the mouth.”

And 2015 is the vintage to experience all that Cune Imperial has to offer, because this is a year for the books. Even the likes of Jancis Robinson called it a vintage “with powerful concentration and richness.” Which this 2015 more than conveys, all with Cune’s classic sense of elegance, in a red that’s drinking fabulously right now and destined for a beautiful crescendo in the cellar.

In other words, this is a connoisseur’s Rioja Reserva, but at a price that makes it fit for everyday drinking.