CVNE 2020 Cune Crianza

£8.50
Tasting notes
A young Crianza, where red berry aromas predominate over the oaky and balsamic notes from its ageing in American oak. This wine is easy to drink, fresh and perfect for pairing with every type of Mediterranean dish.

Why we recommend this wine
Although CVNE is a large operation, it is still family controlled and their wines are highly rated; this Crianza regularly scores 90 points from wine writers.

The wine
Made from 85% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha tinta and Mazuelo the grapes undergo fermentation in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. After malolactic fermentation the wine is aged in American oak barrels for a year.

The wine estate
CVNE, Compañía Vinícola del Norte del España (the Northern Spanish Wine Company), was founded in 1879 in a winery located in Haro near the railway station “barrio de la estacion”. The location was essential to enable them to easily transport the wine in oak barrels and then in bottles. CVNE was founded by two brothers and today is still controlled by the direct descendants of the founding family. Since its inception, CVNE has been focused on the production and aging of wines and now comprises of four wineries: CVNE, Imperial, Vina Real and Contino.

The 545 hectares of vineyards that CVNE owns account for 50% of the company's production (the rest are bought in from local growers), and are located in two subregions, Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa.
cvne.com

Food and wine
Chicken chorizo stew with chickpeas and courgettes; basically anything with pimento picante. Also see our guide to pairing food and wine here.

Did you know?
Spanish wine naming regulations refer to the length of time the wine has been aged. A wine labeled Crianza (as this wine is) has spent one year in oak barrels. A wine that says Reserva on the bottle has been aged for two years; one of which has to be in oak.