Descripción

Este tinto es uno de los emblemas riojanos por excelencia. Imperial Gran Reserva es uno de los buques insignias de Imperial, una casa verdaderamente mítica en Rioja. Una apuesta segura que hoy puedes a un precio excepcional para darle a tu mesa un aire sofisticado.

Ficha técnica

La bodega
Imperial
Tipo
Tinto
Añada
2016
Grado
14.5% vol.
Producción
50.000 botellas
Variedad
85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo
Origen
Rioja

Cata

Vista
Color rojo rubí con destellos cereza.
Nariz
Aromas a fruta compotada, paloduz, especias y apuntes balsámicos. Vainilla, toffee y chocolate.
Boca
Amable y sedoso, con una personalidad marcada y un tanino fino. Retronasal larga y agradable.
Temperatura de servicio
Se recomienda servir entre 16 y 18 ºC.
Maridaje
Perfecto con carnes rojas, caza, pescados grasos y quesos curados.

Viñedo y elaboración

Descripción
Ubicados en Villalba, Briones y Torremontalbo.
Cosecha
Vendimia manual en cajas de 20 kilogramos.
Vinificación
La uva llega a bodega y es introducida en cámaras frigoríficas durante 24 horas. Tras un proceso de selección la uva pasa por gravedad a tinas de roble francés, donde realiza la fermentación alcohólica.
Envejecimiento
24 meses en barricas de roble francés y americano.
Embotellado
En junio de 2018.

Opinión de los críticos

James Suckling:

Polished and structured with firm, very fine tannins. Lots going on here, with layers of black fruit, dried spices, graphite, coconut and cracked pepper. Full-bodied and so intense. Keeps going. Long. The tannins are so fine and so numerous. One of the greatest modern gran reservas. 85% tempranillo, 10% graciano and 5% mazuelo. Try in 2025.

The Wine Advocate:

The classical 2016 Imperial Gran Reserva was produced with a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo from grapes that were picked between October 10 and 25 with good ripeness, delivering a wine with 14.5% alcohol after fermenting in small oak vats followed by malolactic in concrete and two years in barrel and three in bottle. I was quite surprised, because the wine was quite closed and needed energetic swirling and time in the glass to reveal its true colors. It has more stuffing and finesse than the reserva. 2016 was a very good vintage, with freshness and balance to develop nicely in bottle. The tannins are very fine, and the wine is tasty and long. 50,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2019.

Decanter:

CVNE reinvented their Imperial wines several times. This new version is probably one of my favourites, because it puts together lots of ripe fruit intensity, French oak influence and shorter oak ageing periods with classic balance and Rioja's sumptuosity, built with excellent Tempranillo and Graciano fruit. Powerful, marked by oak ageing but not oxidative, juicy, open. Very serious, I am certain that it will continue to develop positively bet for its positive development over many years in bottle.