Pagos de Viña Real 2001 Gran Reserva

Wine: Pagos de Viña Real 2001 Gran Reserva
Winery: CVNE - Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 95% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano
ABV: 13%

Winemaking:
Grapes sourced entirely from estate-owned vineyards with an average age of over 40 years, located near the Viña Real winery in Laguardia. Manual harvest followed by table selection at the winery. Cold alcoholic fermentation and subsequent malolactic fermentation in new French and American oak barrels. Manual rackings every three months to stabilize and clarify the wine naturally. It underwent 18 months of aging in second-year 225-liter oak barrels. Traditionally fined with fresh egg whites. Limited production of 10,000 liters. Aged for a minimum of 12 months in the winery’s cellars before its release in mid-2004.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Garnet-cherry with high depth; dark (zaino) and opaque. Clean and brilliant with fine sediment at the base. Displays copper and purplish reflections. Tinted, abundant, and persistent legs with a significant sense of viscosity. Narrow, saffron-toned (azafranado) rim, sharply defined against the meniscus.

 

Nose: Intimidating: powerful and toasty. Initially, it remains stubborn, releasing an immense amount of oak, smoke, black liquorice, black pepper, and charcoal. It requires extensive aeration to unfurl. Gradually, it reveals a greater expression of candied red and black fruit (prunes, sour cherries), showing slight evolution accompanied by creamy notes, vanilla, toffee, and almond cream.

 

Palate: Firm and concentrated with an iron-like structure and great persistence, though it lacks the "punch" one might expect. Oak influence and tannins are present and yet to be fully polished. While the fruit provides a high-quality sweet nuance, the wine feels somewhat limited beyond its initial impact.

 

Commentary:
This is the inaugural vintage of Pagos de Viña Real, and it is already showing clear signs of having reached its peak. It is advisable to consume any remaining bottles as soon as possible. While technically flawless, it lacks the standout virtues of CVNE’s more favored labels.

 

Personal Score: 86
Tasting Group Average: N/A