Imperial, Reserva Rioja Red

Dark ruby. Cherry-vanilla and raspberry aromas boast good clarity and develop a peppery nuance with air. Crisp and light on its feet, with tangy cherry and redcurrant fruit flavors dusted with fine-grained tannins. Finishes dry and brisk, with an echo of vanilla and very good cut and length.

Winery: Imperial
Appellation: Rioja
Average age of vines: 40 years old
Farming Methods: Conventional
Maturation: Aged for 24 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels
Soil: Rich in iron salts, limestone and clay
Varietal: Tempranillo blend
Vineyard Orientation: Northern
Vineyard Size: 28 hectares

Wine	Scores	Downloads	Reviews
Imperial, Reserva Rioja Red 2018	91 Wine Spectator An elegant version, with hints of pencil shaving and star anise lacing the pretty notes of ripe black cherry and currant fruit, jasmine and mocha. Fine tannins firm the finish. This isn’t a powerhouse, but more of a fresh, crowd-pleaser. Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. Drink now through 2028. 12,500 cases made, 1,500 cases imported. 94 Wine Advocate The red 2018 Imperial Reserva keeps the brand profile of finesse, precision and power, produced with grapes that were picked between October 8th and 26th in a year like in the past—cold, rain and snow followed by a warm summer. It’s a blend of Tempranillo and 15% Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha that were put through optical sorting and fermented in oak vats with a 20-day maceration. It matured in barrel for 24 months. It’s 14% alcohol and has a pH of 3.57. It’s a textbook Reserva from Haro, fine-tuning the grapes they use here trying to control the power of this cuvée, which has to be powerful but keeping the freshness. This is quite young and lively, quite impressive, really very good, getting close to the complexity of a Gran Reserva but with the extra oomph of its youth. 150,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2021.	Bottle Image Label Image Shelf Talker Tech Sheet
Imperial, Reserva Rioja Red 2019	95 James Suckling A precise, layered nose that shows excellent purity despite some sweet oak spices. More berry fruit comes out as you give it some time in the glass. Plums, cherries, red berries with dark mushrooms, cured meat, grilled spices, stones, vanilla and iodine. Juicy, spiced berries quickly tighten up on the medium- to full-bodied palate with dusty, powerful tannins, allowing it to expand into the finish. It grows on the palate and the creaminess is already chiselled. This will age beautifully in the next 10-15 years. Drinkable now, but better from 2026. 94 Wine Advocate The 2019 Imperial Reserva was cropped from a very healthy year with good ripeness and balance, a powerful vintage with a 185-day vegetative cycle. They look for finesse, precision and power, a blend of Tempranillo and 15% Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha put through optical sorting and fermented in oak vats with yeasts selected from the Imperial vineyards and a 20-day maceration, then it matured in barrels, 70% French and the rest American, for 24 months. It has 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.61. It feels very classical, with finesse and power, balanced and serious. It has tannins that call for food. 150,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2022. 91 Wine Spectator A sculpted red, with ripe red cherry and currant fruit accented by briary herb, spice and floral notes. Reveals a plush quality to the texture without imparting too much weight, while a minerally underpinning pushes through to drive the lasting finish. Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. Drink now through 2029. 12,500 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.	Bottle Image Label Image