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  • Country ranking ?

    121
  • Producer ranking ?

    20
  • Decanting time

    1h30min
  • When to drink

    now to 2040
  • Food Pairing

    Roast squab with cèpes

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The Story

Imperial is one of the renowned references in the entire history of Spanish winemaking. It is a true classic in Rioja and was first bottled in the 1920’s. Its name was originally adopted after a special bottling for the English market in a bottle called ‘Pinta Imperial’ or ‘Imperial Pint’ (an Imperial pint, half a litre approximately). 

Vineyard

The grapes to make Imperial have always come from our own 28 hectares of vineyards in Villalba (Rioja Alta), and selected vineyards in the nearby communes of Briones and Montalvo, where our vines average age is kept over 20 years to secure quality. 

Rioja Alta is the westernmost part of Rioja's three subregions. Its climate is noticeably influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The soil in Rioja Alta is rich in iron salts, limestone and clay, along with nutrients deposited in the region by the tributaries of the Ebro River. Rioja Alta is known for producing full-bodied wines with a medium alcohol content and a high acidity level that are suitable for being aged in casks, forming the basis of most red Rioja

 

Aging in cask 36moths and aging in bottle 48 moths before going to market .
This wine is produced from grapes harvested in vineyards that are over 20 years old in the area around Villalba and Haro in Rioja Alta. They are bush pruned, with low yields, and hand harvested. Only the healthiest and ripest grapes are selected, and following destalking, the grapes are cold macerated prior to a cold temperature fermentation. Following a long maceration to achieve optimum colour and structure, the wine goes through a malolactic fermentation, to refine the wine, and to leave it with the necessary acidity to complete its American and French oak maturation, and subsequent bottle ageing prior to its release to the market.

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Wine Information

Vintage slightly ahead of previous years due to a very hot summer and little rainfall. However, the rains in mid-September (16-18) not only helped to solve the problems of water stress and regain some vineyards production expectations, but were critical to the final quality of the harvest. They balanced the alcoholic maturity and phenolic maturity, yielding a crop of very good quality.

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Information

Origin

Haro, Rioja

Other wines from this producer

Clarete

Contino Gran Reserva

Contino Rioja Garnacha

Corona Reserva

Crianza

Cune Gran Reserva

Cune Reserva

Imperial Reserva

Medianas

Monopole

Real de Asúa

Viña Real Crianza

Vina Real Gran Reserva

Inside Information

Intense ruby red color.The nose is rich and enticing with black and red berry fruit and liquorice notes. The palate is generously fruity with toasty oak, supple tannins and savoury balsamic nuances and a long finish.

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