Spain · Rioja

CVNE

CVNE (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) is one of Rioja's oldest and most respected houses, founded in 1879 by the Real de Asúa brothers and still family-owned. The company produces wines across multiple Rioja sub-zones under several labels, but the crown jewels are the Viña Real and CUNE single-vineyard wines, and above all the legendary Imperial Gran Reserva — one of Rioja's benchmark wines. Imperial Gran Reserva is made from Tempranillo, Graciano, and Mazuelo, aged in American oak and then extended bottle aging, producing a wine of extraordinary complexity and longevity that has been produced since 1928. The Monopolio white Rioja and the Cune Reserva represent exceptional everyday drinking. CVNE also owns the important Contino estate in the Rioja Alavesa. At auction, Imperial Gran Reserva from great vintages — 1981, 1994, 2001, 2004 — is among the most collectible Spanish wines, prized for its combination of traditional character, reliability, and extraordinary value compared to the most fashionable Rioja estates.