Cune has been making wine in Rioja since the 1870s, and the Reserva is the bottle that shows what the region does best: Tempranillo in the lead, with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano playing supporting roles. The 2017 vintage came in warm and dry, which pushed the fruit toward ripeness and left the tannins round rather than sharp.
- Rioja DOCa, Spain's oldest qualified appellation.
- Tempranillo leads, with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano.
- 2017, a warm and dry growing season.
- 13.5% ABV, medium body, medium tannin.
- Reserva means at least one year in barrel, one in bottle.
How it is made
Rioja's Reserva classification is not a marketing term. It is a legal minimum: the wine must spend at least twelve months in barrel and another twelve in bottle before release. Cune ages this one in a mix of French and American oak, which is where the vanilla and sweet spice in the profile come from. The blend of four grapes is traditional for the region, though Tempranillo does most of the work.
How it tastes
Red cherry and dried fig lead, with vanilla and a touch of tobacco and leather underneath. The tannins are medium and already softened by the barrel and bottle time, so the fruit stays in front. Acidity is medium, which keeps it from feeling heavy. The finish is dry and long, with the spice lingering after the fruit fades.
Where it comes from
Rioja sits in northern Spain, sheltered by the Sierra de Cantabria to the north and the Sierra de la Demanda to the south. The region divides into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, each with its own soil and climate. Cune is based in Haro, in Rioja Alta, where the Atlantic influence keeps nights cool and gives the wines their freshness.
Good to know
Rioja was the first Spanish region to earn the DOCa designation, upgraded from DO in 1991. The Reserva category was formalised in the 1920s, when Rioja producers wanted a way to distinguish wines that had been aged longer than the standard bottlings. The system stuck, and it is still how the region separates its everyday wines from the ones meant to sit.
