The “Imperial” lineup of wines from C.V.N.E. is meant to represent the top of the line: These wines are only produced in outstanding vintages, and they’ve repeatedly been celebrated in the press as some of the greatest wines in all of Rioja.

Grapes for Imperial Reserva are sourced from estate-owned vineyards in the villages of Villalba, Briones and Torremontalvo, all of which are near the winery’s historic headquarters in Haro. Vineyards in these villages range in altitude from 450-650 meters, with average vine age exceeding 40 years, which leads to wines of exceptional concentration and complexity.

Hand-harvested fruit is carefully hand-sorted before fermentation in large oak vats of various capacities (80-, 120- and 160HL) on ambient yeasts. The finished wine is aged 24 months in new French and American oak, then left to age in bottle for another year before release. Some further bottle age has put this 2016 in a great spot for enjoying now, although it’s evident that it still has at least another decade of graceful evolution ahead of it. In the glass, it shows a classic dark garnet core, with slight ruby and purplish reflections throughout. Aromatically it projects ripe red and black plum, a touch of black currant, and that slight sandalwood, maturing tobacco, leather, and cedar-spiced quality with hints of dried coconut, exotic baking spices, and a kiss of wild vanilla bean in the background. There’s a lot going on here, and if you’re drinking it now, decant it an hour before service in large Bordeaux stems. There’s something about Rioja (both the wine and the place) that makes us think instinctively of lamb as the ideal pairing. The attached recipe should do nicely. Enjoy!