Viña Real Gran Reserva 2013

It's far too easy to get seduced in Spain. The Iberian sun, the Mediterranean Sea, the Spanish culture, we see it all the time; a Brit pops over for a long weekend to check out the Royal Palace in Madrid, eat some Paella and perhaps sample a couple of bottles of wine but that's when everything changes. With that first sip of Vina Real Gran Reserva Rioja as notes of cranberry, blackberry, dried red fruit coffee and vanilla wash over you like waves on the Andalusian coast. There's no going back after that. How could you possibly return to an office job in Basingstoke after that experience? Next week you'll find yourself driving parallel to the Duero in an open top convertible, singing along to Enrique Inglacias, with a case of Rioja in the passenger seat. It can happen to anyone, please drink with caution.

C.V.N.E., or to give it its full name, Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España (The Northern Spanish Wine Company) was established on the 24th of March 1879 in Haro, Rioja. Set up by two brothers, Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa, their aim was to capitalise on the flourishing new trade in wine.
C.V.N.E. is based in Haro's traditional neighbourhood of the train station, in the heart of the Rioja wine region. Historically, some of the oldest wineries of Rioja Alta established themselves here in order to benefit from the ease of transport via rail to the port of Bilbao, the most efficient form of transport in those days.
C.V.N.E. is still controlled by the direct descendants of the founding family. Now in its fifth generation, the company has been quoted on the Madrid stock exchange since 1997.
C.V.N.E. farms half of its grape crush. The remainder is purchased from long term growers. With three wineries in the region; Cune, Viña Real and Contino the winemakers have control over quality from vineyard to bottle.
Made with high quality grapes harvested by hand, from their better plots in Rioja Alavesa. The fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats at controlled temperatures with a frequent dropping of the juice over the skins in order to maximise extraction. Malolactic Fermentation is carried out in French and American oak barrels, and then, the wine is manually racked to stabilise and get rid of deposits. After the cask ageing for 2 years, the wine is clarified with white of egg to achieve the silkiness and shiny final colour. Ageing in bottle 36 months.