2015 Cune Monopole Clasico Blanco Seco Rioja 750 ml

Cune’s “Magic Recipe” Revived

This is Spanish white wine at its most rare and classic: A bottling that will make those who pine for a unique white wine glad that the Monopole Blanco—and the Wizard who made it what it is—are back. The 94-point 2015 Cune Monopole Clásico Blanco Seco Rioja is, in the words of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, born of a “magic recipe.” It is the second vintage of the second act of Cune’s “Monopole,” Spain’s oldest white wine brand, and the winery has gone to great lengths to capture the wine’s original essence: They revived what the Advocate calls “the more serious bottlings of 40 and 50 years ago” by bringing “The Wizard” Ezequiel Garcia, who crafted Monopole from the 1940s to the 1970s, out of retirement. Sadly, Garcia passed away in the fall of 2017, and with him goes the final second act of Monopole—2015 is his last bottling—as Spain’s oldest white wine brand. During the aging process, Monopole Clásico receives a small portion of Manzanilla sherry, a method which marries the rich mouthfeel of a Rioja Reserva Blanco, with the lively acidity and nuttiness of Manzanilla. Grilled lemon, white peaches, savory dried herb, crushed sea salt, layered and complex. All this for just $22.99 per bottle, with shipping included on 6.

Buyers, especially those among you with deep collections should take note of the special commemorative black band on the label of this Monopole Clásico Bianco—a rare addition and homage to the late Garcia.

Cune, also known as C.V.N.E., has been synonymous with Rioja since 1879. Their Monopole Blanco has been produced for nearly as long and was a ubiquitous sight in Spanish restaurants from the 1920s to the 1970s. Eventually, though, that barrel-aged style of wine fell out of fashion, and Cune ended up ceasing production in the 1980s. But the convergence of two events—the 100th anniversary of Monopole Blanco’s first bottling in 1914 and the discovery of a solitary but remarkably fresh bottle of the 1979 vintage—seemed to be an omen. Cune made the decision to revive the classical style for Monopole’s centennial.

But how, exactly, do you bring back a classic? Simple. You bring back a classic. Cune went straight to the man who guided it during some of its best years: winemaker Ezequiel Garcia, also known as “The Wizard.” Garcia sketched out a detailed description of the process they used in the 1960s—then he set about applying that process to the centennial vintage.

Luckily, that 2014 bottling was not a one-off, and Cune and Garcia did it again in 2015—his last bottling. Monopole Clásico is composed of Viura, which is the principal grape of the Gran Reserva Rioja Blanco’s that are known to age for decades. The grapes were softly pressed, as they were in the 1960s, before being clarified in concrete and fermented in stainless steel. Then the wine then spent eight months in oak botas. Finally, a small amount of Manzanilla sherry was blended in, contributing acidity, adding chamomile and dried fruit aromas, and lengthening the finish. The 2015 Clásico is a creamy and remarkably complex white that delivers a ton of pleasure, pairs well with white and red meats, and will even do well over the next 5-7 years.