VinaRealCrianzaRiojaSpain2011

Flagship Wines, St Albans, Hertfordshire, 01727 865 309, Vina Real Crianza Rioja Spain 2011, red wines, national delivery

Intro to Vina Real Crianza Rioja �/h2>

Vina Real Crianza Rioja from Spain is beautifully ripe and richly fruity with rich aromas of fruitcake and spices. It is smooth and supple in the mouth with perfectly integrated oak, a rounded silky texture and smooth tannins.

Full tasting note and wine making �/h2>

Vina Real Crianza Rioja has ripe red and purple autumn fruit, raspberries, damsons and sloes over a fine vanilla complexity. It is rich, deep and balanced and well-structured on the palate with plenty of fine, lingering rich fruit and lively tannins. The finish is elegant, long and with a good balancing acidity.It is from grapes grown in carefully selected vineyards in the Alavesa sub-region of Rioja and uses Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo grapes in the blend.The young wine was transferred to 225 litre American oak casks, where it remained for between 12 �14 months, and then lightly fined using egg whites before bottling.

The producer �/h2>

C.V.N.E., or to give it its full name, Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España (The Northern Spanish Wine Company) was established on the 24th of March 1879 in Haro, Rioja. Set up by two brothers, Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa, their aim was to capitalise on the flourishing new trade in wine. C.V.N.E. is based in Haro’s traditional neighbourhood of the train station, in the heart of the Rioja wine region. Historically, some of the oldest wineries of Rioja Alta established themselves here in order to benefit from the ease of transport via rail to the port of Bilbao, the most efficient form of transport in those days. By 1900, the winery had an extraordinary ageing capacity of 80,000 bottles, which was most unusual at the time, as most wineries sold their wines as soon as possible.C.V.N.E. is still controlled by the direct descendants of the founding family. Now in its fifth generation, the company has been quoted on the Madrid stock exchange since 1997.C.V.N.E. farms half of its grape crush. The remainder is purchased from long term growers. With three wineries in the region; Cune, Viña Real and Contino the winemakers have control over quality from vineyard to bottle.

Drink with �/h2>

Great with pork, aromatic dishes containing thyme, rosemary, garlic etc.