1999 Spain
Generally speaking a good vintage throughout Spain, although in many areas quality and quantity were badly affected by severe spring frosts and rains at harvest time. In Rioja the savage bout of frost that hit the region in April led to yields being 25% lower than the record 1998 harvest. The summer was warm but autumn rains dented growers' expectations of a great vintage. Overall the quality is high, though it is important to stick with established growers, as some wines are slightly dilute.
Ribera escaped the worst of the spring frosts, with prolonged sunshine throughout the summer leading to good levels of ripeness. There was some rain at harvest time but it did not seriously affect quality. The crop was large, surpassing the previous record set in 1996, and very high quality wines have been produced.
Harvest rains in Priorat have led to wines of elegance and finesse rather than power and concentration, while, in Rias Baixas, cooling Atlantic winds led to an extended growing season, resulting in very good quality wines.
Prices:
Bottle
£57.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl 5cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Salmanaz.
£1,282.00
Salmanaz. 1 x 900cl 1cs
Melchior
£2,564.00
Melchior 1 x 1800cl 1cs
Old school Rioja can vary tremendously; there is a fine line between the sublime and the ridiculous and the bad ones can be very bad indeed. This is one of the very best and a firm favourite chez moi.
One of the most reliable and impressive of the traditional houses in Rioja, C.V.N.E. is still owned and run by the Real de Asua family whose forebears established it back in 1879. Its full name is Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España but it more commonly, if somewhat prosaically, known, phonetically at least, as "coonay". In the late 1980s the firm built an immense new stainless steel winery in the town of Haro to complement its traditional barrel cellar. CVNE is therefore a palace of steel in one location; a cathedral of oak in another. The ‘twain meet, harmoniously.
CVNE’s two signature brands are Vina Real and Imperial. Both are traditional in style and aspiration, although the original idea, never completely forgotten, was for Real to resemble Burgundy and Imperial to be closer, stylistically, to Bordeaux. The Imperial Gran Reserva sources fruit from the best vineyards in both La Rioja Baja and La Rioja Alta. Only the best fruit form the best years is aged for so long, with extensive further bottle age prior to release; the wine repays the complement with its elegant understated power.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
From an historic Priorat family which can trace its lineage back to before 1700, Sangenís I Vaqué was founded in 1978 by Pere Sangenís and Conxita Vaqué. The vineyards are located in Porrera, famous for its llicorella (schist and slate) terraces and vines, all of which are venerable, and divided between Garnacha and Cariñena. Minimal intervention in the winery is the philosophy here and the wines are aged in a combination of French (85%) and American (15%) oak for 12months. They are then bottled unfined and unfiltered and can, as a result, be seen as amongst the purest and most traditional, in all its best senses, from this magical denominación.