Rioja, Spain
The Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (C.V.N.E. or Cune) is one of the most venerable and heralded estates in Spain’s Rioja region. Their Monopole Blanco is Spain’s oldest white wine brand and a tribute to the nobility and versatility of Rioja’s great Viura grape. The 2020 Monopole is crafted from Viura grown on calcareous soils at 2,000 feet above sea level and fermented at cool temperatures to preserve freshness and acidity. The wine casts a brilliant pale lemon-gold color from the bowl with faint green glints. Fresh and perfumed, it offers beautiful aromas of white flowers, Bartlett pears, white grapefruit, honeydew melon, tarragon, and sweet almond flesh. Salty citrus fruit notes mark the wine’s crisp attack and segue it to a broad palate impression of pears, white currants, and limestone minerals. Electric citric acidity and a delicious quinine note follow on the long, stony finish. C.V.N.E.’s bone-dry Monopole shows Viura’s fresh, zesty facets and its limitless food versatility. Enjoy now and over the coming two years with sauteed green vegetables, jamón ibérico, trout amandine, broiled prawns, seared scallops, and citrus-driven ceviche.
Josh Raynolds, Vinous: 90 points
A January 2022 newsletter selection
