CVNE Imperial Reserva Rioja 2018

Profile:

Black cherry, vanilla, tobacco, structured tannins, and a long, elegant finish.

How It Was Made:

The grapes are hand-picked in 300 kg pallets. The boxes are kept in a cold store for 24 hours to prevent oxidation, stabilise the colour and preserve the fruit’s aromas. Next, the grapes undergo a second selection process before being transported by gravity for fermentation in oak vats of varying capacities (80, 120 and 160 hectolitres), depending on the size of the estate. We use our own yeasts for alcoholic fermentation, selected from vineyards destined for Imperial wines. The maceration period lasts approximately 20 days, during which time we alternate different types of remontage, depending on how the fermentation process is developing and the wine samples tasted. Malolactic fermentation is carried out in concrete and wood vats, and the wine is then aged in American and French oak barrels (new or single-wine barrels). The wine from different vineyards is kept separately, with each estate being aged in the barrel that is the best fit for its organoleptic features. We carry out the final assemblage once the ageing process is complete before clarification and bottling.