cune

ANOTHER DELICIOUS ‘WORKHORSE’ RIOJA

With all of the choices there are out there these days, we understand it can be pretty overwhelming. There are new areas performing all the time, vintages change and there are fresh, new faces on the scene regularly. We see new wines constantly. These days a disproportionate number of them in the value categories, including quite a few that have gained popularity in recent years, taste more of the ‘lab’ than the vineyard. We don’t apologize for being somewhat traditional in our approach. Trendy is fine, but a lot of things that have performed admirably for a long time should not be ignored for the sake of fashion. If they offer a sense of place and excellent value, all the better.

One of the reasons we are such evangelists for Spanish wines in general, and Rioja in particular, is that it gives us all of those things. This message never gets old. Great Rioja producers offer some of the most complete and satisfying wine deals out there, and in that field Cvne has been a major force for a long time. Cvne (which stands for Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España though everybody calls them ‘Cune’) successfully operates three separate wineries with three different styles. All three have been on these pages multiple times over the years, at many different price levels, with good reason.

In the CVNE lineup, a wine entity that can trace its roots back to 1879, Viña Real is a relatively newcomer being ‘born’ in the 1920s with their focus on creating crianza wines from Rioja Alavesa. Those crianzas have been consistent players around here for a long time with relatively few gaps. They are consistently some of the best buys in the wine world. We’ll say that without hesitation. Of course when a vintage is particularly stellar, everything is amped up a little more. In other words what is ‘always good’ is that much better in an exceptional vintage. As we were doing our research, we noted the last time we did a big offer on the Crianza was with the epic 2010. The Vina Real Rioja Crianza 2016 is also from an exceptional vintage and delivers again beyond expectations for a wine of this price.

The Vina Real Rioja Crianza 2016 is a blend of 90% Tempranillo with the balance made up of Mazuelo, Garnacha, and Graciano that sees 13-14 months in barrel. Ripe plums, blackcurrant, high toned spices and subtle flashes of oak and balsamic, this is elegant and bright, but can stand up to hearty meat dishes yet whose supple edges and ripe tannins do not preclude applications with fish or fowl. The 2016 is a particularly engaging rendition, with the kind of tender fruit and easy going demeanor to make it far too easy to quaff. It is important to note that this Rioja was produced and bottled on the estate. Very few wines from anywhere in this price range can say that.

This is one of those appealing reds that, given its track record, shouldn’t need scores to sell it in a vintage like this. But we have some anyway. From Wine Spectator, “This red is dense and focused, with cherry, berry and vanilla flavors that emerge as the tannins give way, leading to a floral and spicy finish. Drink now through 2031…91 Points”

From Luis Gutierrez of Wine Advocate, ‘… It’s expressive, deliciously aromatic, floral and elegant, reflecting a cool year that delivered fresh wines that seem to be very approachable early on. 2016 is a pretty vintage, but this wine is not banal; it has depth and complexity that’s remarkable for the price point. The palate is fresh and balanced, with fine tannins…91 Points.”

This sub-$15 wine can play with everything from simple tapas to a roast bird to a tomahawk ribeye, or you can just drink it. But, more to the point, the list of choices of super tasty, well-made, well-reviewed, estate-bottled, honest wines at this kind of price is a rather short one. Viva España.

Something ‘old’ is something ‘new’ from CVNE

In today’s world, the search is to find something new and exciting. This would absolutely qualify on the thrilling part…but it isn’t new. As a matter of fact, it’s old. We’ll explain. A lot of you already know about the Cune Monople Blanco, something of a staple around here for the last few years and a crazy value white that has even graced the Wine Spectator Top 100. They have been making this wine this way for more than four decades. But this isn’t what we are talking about, though the 2016 is once again delicious in its own style.

What really got us excited was this new/old release called Cune Monopole Rioja Blanco Clásico 2014, the word ‘clásico’ being of particular importance. This is the reintroduction of a unique, ‘old school’ white produced prior to the 1980s. Cune’s explanation of the story is pretty clear.

“From the early 20th century to the 70s, Monopole was a staple of homes and restaurants across Spain. It was one of CVNE’s main wines. Sadly, fashion turned against it, sales fell, and production in this style ceased in the 80s. Fresh, fine, bone dry, this wine had the peculiarity and originality of having some barrel ageing with a percentage of Sherry wine, with written permission from the Rioja appellation. The Sherry added structure to the Rioja white, while they both integrated harmoniously in barrel and later in bottle.

A bottle of this old Monopole was searched for in the Haro winery’s cemetery. A solitary 1979 bottle appeared. The wine was savory, very fresh, balanced, delicious. On the spot, the decision was made: we would make this wine again, as it had been made historically. We called Ezequiel Garcia, CVNE winemaker from the 40s until the 70s, to invite him back to help us produce that wine again. Ezequiel, aka ‘the wizard’ and now in his eighties, had no doubts and said ‘Yes’ straight away.

Monopole is the story of a remake, 40 years on; this time, with the original director as guest star. And this time, handmade and in small quantities, to best ignore the whims of fashion. The wines’ aging contributes to its peculiar organoleptic characteristics, adding aromas of chamomile, dried fruits, and a long and persistent aftertaste. The marked acidity increases Monopole Clásico’s freshness.”

We loved this wine’s panache, with a nose of pear, grain, a whiff of salinity and the subtle, penetrating nuttiness of a fine, dry Sherry. Plenty of personality up front, a nice cut of acidity in the back, and lots of complexity to contemplate in between, it kind of reminded us of a Lopez de Heredia Tondonia with the wine’s natural vigor playing off the nuttiness in an aged white. The Monopole Clasico’s unique ‘recipe’ really delivers.

Wine’s Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez seemed as dazzled by this new ‘old’ gem, and reviewed it before it was even bottled…not the usual practice with Spanish whites.

“I was thinking “I wish this wine went back to the more serious bottlings of 40 and 50 years ago…” when tasting the regular Monopole, and they showed me this 2014 Monopole Clásico, which is a wine to celebrate the centenary of the brand (registered in 1914) and it blew me away. They have produced this wine like it was done in the good old times, adding some Manzanilla Sherry (yes, yes, you read it correctly); they top up the Viura with Manzanilla purchased from the Hidalgo family of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

Not only did they add the wine (Sherry), they purchased the wine in bota, so the wine is also aged in Sherry casks. It does have an amazing nose with notes of sea breeze, iodine and esparto grass. The palate is extremely tasty, but at the same time is light and fresh, with the acidity of Viura and the kick and pungency from Manzanilla. Awesome!… This will be bottled in a couple of months, but I couldn’t help reporting on it… Welcome back, Monopole!…91-93 points.”

Awesome, indeed! Luis was obviously stoked. It is rare for him to have multiple exclamation points in an article. So are we. Even though it’s an ‘old’ style, it’s new to us, and very compelling. One of the most exciting whites we’ve had in a while, and that is saying a lot.

The Eye of the Chicken

Now for something completely different. This is one of those cases where we have to explain what it is before we get into the specifics. But it is unique things like this are what make the wine business interesting. There are a lot of folks in this industry that think they can ‘reinvent the wheel’. But once in a great while, it happens. This is one of those times.

This wine comes from Jerez, Sherry country, from one of the elite houses in Valdespino. But it is a completely new concept for anyone from the region and one of the more intriguing offerings from that part of the world that isn’t Sherry. This sees no oak, spends no time under flor and is not fortified, which immediately separates it from most everything else that comes from here. A brisk, appealing white in a fresh, unfettered style.

The folks at Valdespino decided they wanted to step out of their traditional realm to produce this dry white. The winery has been vinifying different parcels of the Macharnudo Vineyard to see which parcel would make the best unfortified still wine and they found it in the particular parcel named ‘Ojo de Gallo’, or ‘Eye of the Chicken’ literally translated. This section is included in the top part of the vineyard, which is wholly owned by Valdespino. The soil is pure chalk (albariza en Espanol) planted to 100% Palomino, the traditional grape of the region (along with the more dessert focused Pedor Ximenez). The vinification is done with

The ‘sales sheet’ said ‘think Chablis from Cadiz’. We’d actually lean a little more in the direction of super-Rueda with fine citrus, quince, and pear fruit, maybe a hint of roasted grain, sleek underlying chalky minerality, just the right pop of acidity, and a twinge of that sherry-like nuttiness without the corresponding oxidative note. Bright, crisp, intriguing, there’s mid-palate volume and cut to the finish. It’s cool and geeky, to be sure, but there’s plenty to appreciate on a hedonistic level as well with the Valdespino Palomino Fino Ojo de Gallo 2016. As to what we would compare it to, there isn’t really anything quite like it though you probably figured that out from the back story.