98 CUNE Imperial Reserva
We're delighted to feature this older wine from one of Spain's traditional and historical wine producers, CUNE. The estate has two lines, and the Imperial label uses the older vines around the small Rioja towns of Haro and Villabla. All of the work in picking and destemming the grapes is still done entirely by hand, and the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks before being transferred to oak barrels for the remainder of the gaining process. The result is a stunning combination of power and finesse that only Spanish wine can hold. This wine will change considerably over the course of two hours, so revisit it frequently in light sips to give yourself a truly enriching experience. If light sips are not possible, we fully understand why: the nose offers lovely berry and cedar notes, mixed with distant exotic spice. This leads to the Imperial Reserva's main body of bright, clean raspberry with a quickly surpassing note of plum, then strawberry with just a hint of milk chocolate on the finish. The longer the wine stays open the more the strawberry and chocolate character emerges, and very subtle notes of mint begins to play a role in the finish. This is what old wine should be: beautiful and fascinating. There is almost none of this left in Washington, so we say drink it soon and get another bottle if you love it.

07 Franco-Espanolas Viura "Rinsol"
Remaining in the Rioja region, we bring you a beautiful white wine made from Viura, which is also known as Macabeo. Viura is grown widely in the Rioja and often blended in very small amounts with the famous Rioja red wines, but trying this subtle and lovely grape on its own is a unique and classy experience. With a very characteristic nose of herbs and minerals, some expert palates report a distant hint of petrol too (a note usually found only in Riesling). The taste a blend of apple and grass, with hints of honey, green almond and perhaps a touch of smoke too. This is very different, but will bring you back to the glass again and again, to discover something new each time. Many claim the elegance and intrigue of this white from Bodega Espanola is a result of the French background with the winery: when the French lost so many of the vineyards to Phylloxera, one of the prime regions to visit and make wine in was the Rioja, and Franco-Espanola (note the "Franco" in the title) is the result of a longer term partnership between French and Spanish winemakers.