- 94 points -

Blackberry, bark and wet-earth aromas follow through to a medium body with firm, lightly chewy tannins and a long, flavorful finish with hints of chocolate, and vanilla to the dark fruit. Tempranillo. Drink or hold.

- 94 points -

Very classic character to this with toasted oak, hints of consomme, meat and dried lemon. Medium body with crisp, firm tannins. Drink or hold.

- 93 points -

Brilliant ruby-red. A sexy, expansive bouquet evokes ripe red and blue fruits, incense, vanilla and exotic spices, with a floral note that gains strength as the wine opens up. Sweet, broad and densely packed, offering intense black raspberry, cherry liqueur, cola and vanilla flavors that are underscored by vein of juicy acidity. Finishes with impressive, spicy power, sharp delineation and round, even tannins that build slowly.

- 93 points -

Glistening ruby. Expansive red and blue fruit, pipe tobacco, potpourri and baking spice aromas, with vanilla and smoky mineral notes slowly emerging. Sappy and gently chewy on the palate, offering spice-accented black raspberry, bitter cherry and rose pastille flavors that turn sweeter on the back half. Shows sharp focus and repeating florality on the long, subtly tannic finish, which leaves behind notes of candied blue fruits and cola.

- 93 points -

A chewy and rich gran reserva with rich, ripe fruit and hints of tobacco and vanilla. Medium to full body. Linear and focused. Extremely well done. Drink or hold.

- 93 points -

Plush, polished, rich and plump with a ripe redcurrant, vanilla and clove nose, layers of red berry fruits and form-giving tannins. Rather lovely!

- 92 points -

Aromas of plum and meat with a wet earth and hints of cedar. Medium body, very fine tannins. Juicy and delicious now. Not a big wine but ready and savory. Drink now.

- 92 points -

CVNE still buys half of the grapes they vinify, but they now use 100% of their own grapes for the 2014 Cune Gran Reserva. From a challenging year with abundant rains during the harvest, it's approximately 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo (Cariñena), a classical blend with 13.5% alcohol. It fermented in stainless steel and concrete vats with indigenous yeasts followed by malolactic in concrete and élevage in American and French oak barrels for 24 months. The bottles are kept for at least three years before they are sold. It's quite austere and serious, with a shy nose and a backward personality but with the sweet spices and the character of the traditional Gran Reservas. The palate is polished and balanced, with very fine and abundant tannins. It's a powerful Gran Reserva with some youth. It transcends the difficult harvest.

- 91 points -

Cropped from a challenging year, the 2013 Cune Gran Reserva is the classical blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, and it matured in barrique for 24 months followed by 36 months in bottle before being released. They didn't make an Imperial Gran Reserva or even Reserva in 2013, so the best grapes from the challenging 2013 vintage went to this Gran Reserva. It's from a lighter year and perhaps had a softer vinification and a shorter élevage, delivering a gentler Gran Reserva with more fruit. It has an herbal twist that led us to discuss the 1975 Viña Real Gran Reserva, which has a really strong herbal strike. The palate is quite light and is medium-bodied, with mostly resolved tannins and a dry finish. 50,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2016.

- 91 points -

91 + Points

The 2017 Cune Gran Reserva comes from a very challenging year marked by frost and a dry and warm end of the season, but it shows very good freshness and youth, transcending the adverse conditions of the year. It's a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo with good ripeness and 14% alcohol; it's approachable and affordable with a mix of developed and fruit-driven characteristics. It matured in oak barrels for 24 months, and the oak is neatly folded into the wine. Great effort for the vintage. 175,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2020.