2017 CVNE (Cune) Real Rioja Gran Reserva Especial 750 ml

The 2017 Rioja Gran Reserva Especial shows why you should NEVER pass up the chance at a cellared Rioja from the iconic Viña Real. 

We absolutely flipped for this triple 95-point wine, which really has it all. This is what Spanish wine is all about: In their 95-point review, Decanter called it “a wonderfully classic, soft and enticing Gran Reserva that shows off the potential of this category.” It was crafted by a legendary producer in a warm, early-drinking vintage—which means it’s already supple and perfumed, but with decades to go. 

The Compañia Vinícola del Norte de España—also known as “CVNE,” or the more pronounceable “CUNE”—is a pioneer in Rioja. They produced the first Spanish wine to earn the #1 spot on Wine Spectator’s Top 100, and Spanish-wine expert Luis Gutierrez of Wine Advocate declared them “one of the great bodegas not only of Rioja, but of the whole of Spain.” 

Of Viña Real, he wrote: “Any old vintage of Viña Real I come across, I buy.” As we speak, MICHELIN three-star restaurants like The French Laundry and SingleThread Farms feature multiple CVNE wines on their lists.

In Rioja Alavesa’s cracked and rugged soils, vines have to earn everything they get. The tiny Tempranillo grapes comprising the core of this CVNE Gran Reserva come primarily from grapes from Laguardia and Elceco, and the Bodega’s own vineyards, such as San Ginés, Castejones, and Labastida. After being harvested by hand from low-yielding, bush-like plants averaging over four decades of age, the wine spent over two years in French and American oak, followed by another five in bottle, resulting in a complex, elegant, and deeply intense Rioja. 

Viña Real reserves their Gran Reserva “Especial” designation only for the best vintages, and this 2017 is awesome. It reminds us of 2015, but geared for earlier drinking—although it will certainly age well. This is a fantastic buy, and a must-have for anyone who likes the great red wines of the world.