Winemaker Notes
Brilliant yellow color with subtle golden reflections. It displays pronounced aromatic intensity and remarkable complexity, with prominent notes of orchard fruits and delicate florals—green apple, ripe pear, white currant, and dried chamomile. Hints of fine patisserie, baked fruit, and gentle spice nuances from the extended aging complete the bouquet. On the palate, the wine opens with finesse and freshness, evolving into a textured, savory mid-palate with refined salinity and a soft grip of tannin that adds depth and elegance. A vibrant acidity sustains the long, layered finish, making it a wine of great personality and versatility, perfect for both contemplation and enjoyment.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Amber in colour, this is a beautiful interpretation of aged white Rioja with a really extended ageing period. A Viura-dominant blend sourced from dry-farmed and low-yielding, east-facing vines in Villalba, it is fermented in 300L and 500L barrels then aged for 60 months in used Rioja barrels and older, larger botas, and the wine is bottled without clarification. There is a wonderful sweetness from the oak which captivates but it is very fresh and lifted, even after all its time in barrel and bottle. Lemon curd, apple and baking spice create a luscious mouthfeel with a slightly waxy finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The scarce 2018 Monopole Clásico Gran Reserva had a long élevage in very old barrels and Sherry butts from Sanlúcar, and it's only the fourth vintage produced like before, in a new era that started in 2014. It was produced with Viura grapes from Villalba on sandy soils that were picked on October 5, cooled down and fermented in 400-liter barrel and 500-liter botas, where it matured for five years, and the wine didn't need to be clarified. It has a bright and clean golden color and a glorious nose that transports me to the old CVNE cellars, with hints of esparto grass and white pepper, distantly reminiscent of flor and Manzanilla. It has a pungent palate, with lightness, 13.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.21 and 6.48 grams of acidity. It has complexity and depth. This is a white of very strong personality and character.
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Vinous
The 2018 Gran Reserva Monopole Clásico is 100% Viura from Rioja. This aged for 60 months in three old Rioja barrels and two even older Jerez casks. It offers dried flower, green apple and herbal aromas, with notes of apricot and grapefruit zest. Dry and lean with a delicate texture, floral and honeyed tones and a chalky, sherry-like finish, this is a distinctive wine rooted in Rioja tradition.
Cvne, is situated in Rioja in the traditional neighborhood of the station, where the oldest wineries of Rioja Alta established themselves, for the main reason of transporting their goods to the port of Bilbao.
In 1879, two brothers decided to set up a business in the recently flourishing trade of the wine business. C.V.N.E., Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España (The Northern Spanish Wine Company) or la Cuné, as it is commonly known in Haro, was created. This cellar still reflects the origins of the company and is kept in the traditional neighborhood of the Haro station.
The Cune winery in Haro, is made up of a group of buildings, mostly from the 19th century and arranged around a courtyard surrounded by pavilions for the purpose of wine production, aging, and bottling.
Commonly found as a single varietal white or blended with Malavasia and Grenache Blanc, Viura is a vital, leading white grape of Rioja. It also thrives in the lower elevations of the Penedes, where it takes the name Macabeo and adds aromatic and fruity notes to the traditional Cava blend with Parellada and Xarel-lo. Somm Secret—Called Macabeu in France, this versatile grape is prevalent in Roussillon where it makes still, sparkling, dry and sweet wines.
Highly regarded for distinctive and age-worthy red wines, Rioja is Spain’s most celebrated wine region. Made up of three different sub-regions of varying elevation: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental. Wines are typically a blend of fruit from all three, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta, at the highest elevation, is considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier Rioja Oriental produce wines with deep color and higher alcohol, which can add great body and richness to a blend.
Fresh and fruity Rioja wines labeled, Joven, (meaning young) see minimal aging before release, but more serious Rioja wines undergo multiple years in oak. Crianza and Reserva styles are aged for one year in oak, and Gran Reserva at least two, but in practice this maturation period is often quite a bit longer—up to about fifteen years.
Tempranillo provides the backbone of Rioja red wines, adding complex notes of red and black fruit, leather, toast and tobacco, while Garnacha supplies body. In smaller percentages, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan) often serve as “seasoning” with additional flavors and aromas. These same varieties are responsible for flavorful dry rosés.
White wines, typically balancing freshness with complexity, are made mostly from crisp, fresh Viura. Some whites are blends of Viura with aromatic Malvasia, and then barrel fermented and aged to make a more ample, richer style of white.