These are dark days indeed and, with nobody seemingly in control, we’re pretty much back where we started, with lockdown beckoning once more with its bony finger. Well sod that. With a long, lonely winter ahead, I’m stocking up like fury. No, not with bog rolls and baked beans, you fool, with vino!
I don’t think any vino suits this time of year better than fine Rioja, and the family–owned Compañia Vinicola del Norte de España (better known as CVNE) and its sister bodegas of Viña Real and Contino make some of the finest. As with the Champenois (but most definitely not the Bordelais), the Riojanos take the trouble to age their wines for us before release and the bottles below are in peak condition and ready to go, especially the fabulous pair of Gran Reservas in the exclusive-to-the-Speccie wooden box.
The 2019 Monopole Blanco Seco Rioja (1) is made from 100 per cent Viura and is unabashedly crisp, clean and refreshing. With no oak to speak of, there are plenty of crunchy green apple and zesty citrus flavours. Add a satisfyingly long finish and you have a deliciously uncomplicated aperitif. £9.95 down from £10.95.
Rioja in all its glory, from barrel-fermented white to stunning Gran Reserva red
If you prefer your whites with a bit more oomph and oompah, then the 2018 Viña Real Barrel-Fermented Blanco (1) should appeal. This is the other side of the Viura coin, having been fermented in new oak barrels. It’s fresh, yes, but with creamy, toasty weight too, and a whisper of baked apples. £9.95 down from £11.95.
The 2016 Asúa Crianza (3) is a fresh, lively and juicy Tempranillo-based red full of ripe hedgerow fruit. With its soft, un-demanding tannins, it’s an ideal kitchen-supper quaffer. £10.95 down from £11.95.
The 2014 Viña Real Reserva (4) is a touch more serious. A blend of 90 per cent Tempranillo with splashes of Graciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo, it spent a couple of years slumbering in oak before bottling. With luscious ripe fruit, a touch of spice and hint of vanilla there’s much to enjoy. £17.95 down from £19.95.
The 2015 Contino Rioja Reserva (5) is a similar blend but from a single estate. It’s in great form with rich, dark fruit and a touch of liquorice, vanilla and dark chocolate lurking in the long, long finish. It’s at the beginning of its drinking life and, although in great shape now, is only going to get better. £18.95 down from £21.95.
The 2016 CVNE Imperial Reserva (6) is only made in fine vintages and 2016 was a corker. Made from hand-picked old-vine Tempranillo with a touch of Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano for seasoning, it’s rich and rounded with silky smooth tannins. Already extremely drinkable, it has years ahead of it. £22.45 down from £24.95.
We offered the 2013 Viña Real Gran Reserva (7) last year and if I loved it then (which I did), I love it even more now. Made from 95 per cent Tempranillo and 5 per cent Graciano, it’s warming and spicy with great acidity and buckets of ripe, mellow cherry fruit. I’m a sucker for wines like this. £23.95 down from £26.95.
Finally, the 2011 CVNE Imperial Rioja Gran Reserva (8), an outstandingly fine wine drawn from the company’s oldest vineyards. Made in the best years only, it’s soft, smooth and elegant with sweet ripe fruit, vanilla, spice and goodness knows what else. It’s Rioja at its finest — and a fraction of what you might expect to pay for similar quality, similarly mature claret or burgundy. £41.95 down from £47.95.
Wines 1-3 are available by the 12-bottle box and wines 4-8 by the six-bottle box. The Rioja Selection contains two bottles each of wines 1-6 and the Gran Reserva Selection has three bottles each of wines 7 and 8 in a bespoke wooden box. Delivery is free.
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