CVNE Cune Rioja: 10 Exotic Wines To Buy, Styles, Taste, Food Pairings

The delicious Cune Rioja wines are made by the northern Spanish wine company CVNE (Compañia Vinicola del Norte de España), better known as Cune.

The Cune (CVNE) winery was founded in 1879 in the Rioja region of Spain. It has gained equal international attention for its easy-drinking options and its investment-worthy bottles.

Interestingly, the Wine Spectator magazine picked Cune’s 2004 CVNE 'Imperial' Gran Reserva as one of its top 10 wines in 2013.

Let’s check out a quick intro to the Cune winery, the different Cune Rioja wine styles, the 10 best bottles to buy now, food pairings, and how the wines are produced.

A Quick Intro To The Cune Winery

The famous Cune winery was founded in 1879 as Compañia Vinicola del Norte de España, abbreviated as CVNE. However, because of a simple spelling error, the winery is now famously known as CUNE instead of CVNE.

The winery started off as a negociant, and all its fruit came from other grape growers. However, it now sources half the amount of fruit from its vineyards, while the other half comes from contract growers.

Cune has won numerous awards at major European competitions.

What Are The Different Cune Rioja Wine Styles?

Here are the different Cune Rioja wine styles:

• Cune Crianza: The Cune Crianza wines are produced using fruit from the best vineyards in Rioja Alta. These wines have a characteristic aromatic balance, incredible freshness, and citrus notes.
• Cune Reserva: These wines are made using grapes from Rodezno, Villalba, and Haro, in Rioja Alta. They have crisp acidity and fresh berry flavors with wood and herb notes.
• Cune Ecológico Organic: These wines are produced using organic grapes from the Haro and San Vicente regions. They boast fresh minerality, dark berry aromas, and light spicy notes.
• Cune Gran Reserva: Made exclusively using grapes from Torrentalvo, these remarkable wines shine with moderate acidity, fresh fruit aromas, and red fruit flavors.
• Cune Blanco: These wines are made from a selection of the best Viura grapes from the Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa regions. They’re characterized by white flower aromas, tropical fruit flavors, and refreshing acidity.
• Cune Blanco Reserva: Made from the finest white wine grapes from Torremontalvo, these wines shine with white fruit flavors, subtle acidity, and exotic fruit aromas.
• Cune Rosado: The Cune Rosado wines are made using Tempranillo grapes from Rioja Alta. They have moderate acidity, dark fruit flavors, and lingering red fruit notes.
• Cune Rueda: Cune Rueda white wines are made exclusively from the Verdejo grapes from the Rueda region. They have fruity and floral aromas, a velvety texture, and light spicy notes.
• Cune Ribera del Duero: These wines are made using the grapes from Villalba de Duero, Burgos. These well-balanced, cherry-red wines have intense red fruit aromas, crisp acidity, and spice notes.
• Cune Semidulce: Made using fine grapes from Rioja Alta, these elegant wines boast a velvety texture, remarkable freshness, and white fruit flavors.

10 Best Cune Rioja Wines To Buy In 2022

Here are the 10 best Cune Rioja wine bottles you should check out now:

1. 1939 CVNE Corona Semi Dulce
2. 1975 CVNE Viña Real Reserva
3. 1957 CVNE 'Imperial' Gran Reserva
4. 1979 CVNE 'Cune' Reserva
5. 1975 CVNE Viña Real Gran Reserva
6. 2016 CVNE Pagos de Viña Real
7. 2004 CVNE 'Cune' Gran Reserva
8. 1983 CVNE 'Monopole Clasico' Blanco
9. 2015 CVNE 'Imperial Real de Asúa' Reserva
10. 2016 CVNE 'Cune' Crianza

1. 1939 CVNE Corona Semi Dulce ($1,188)

This Spanish wine has citrus fruit flavors, good acidity, fine minerality, and dark fruit aromas with cocoa, vanilla, cherry, tropical fruit, herb, and subtle spice notes. 

2. 1975 CVNE Viña Real Reserva ($719)

This wine bottle opens with supple tannin, subtle acidity, bitter cherry flavors, and plum aromas with a hint of wild fruits and vanilla notes.

3. 1957 CVNE 'Imperial' Gran Reserva ($430)

This incredible wine has bitter cherry flavors, a silky texture, crisp acidity, and candied fruit aromas with fresh herb, vanilla, spice, and lingering red fruit notes. 

4. 1979 CVNE 'Cune' Reserva ($250)

This Spanish wine has cherry aromas, refreshing acidity, and blueberry flavors with cocoa, vanilla, herb, tobacco, plum, and subtle spice notes. 

5. 1975 CVNE Viña Real Gran Reserva ($168)

This red wine has good acidity, ripe tannin, a silky texture, lively red currant flavors, and vanilla aromas with fresh red berries, orange, tart red cherry, spice, and mushroom notes.

6. 2016 CVNE Pagos de Viña Real ($94)

This wine bottle opens with crisp acidity, brilliant freshness, bitter cherry flavors, and floral aromas with wild fruits, fresh herb, vanilla, cocoa, and subtle spice notes.

7. 2004 CVNE 'Cune' Gran Reserva ($92)

This intense, dark-red wine has balanced acidity, supple tannin, dark cherry aromas, and black fruit flavors with a hint of fresh red berries, pepper, vanilla, spice, and lingering red fruit notes.

8. 1983 CVNE 'Monopole Clasico' Blanco ($89)

This Spanish wine has fine minerality, crisp acidity, floral aromas, and blueberry flavors with a hint of mushroom, vanilla, wild fruits, plum, spice, and lively red currant notes.

9. 2015 CVNE 'Imperial Real de Asúa' Reserva ($62)

This red wine bottle opens with crisp acidity, a nose of fresh red berries, and tart red cherry flavors with mushroom, lemon, and herb notes - a perfect treat for any wine enthusiast.

10. 2016 CVNE 'Cune' Crianza ($13)

The 2016 CVNE Cune Crianza is made from handpicked Tempranillo grapes and hints of Garnacha Tinta and Mazuelo grapes.

This light-bodied Cune Rioja Crianza wine has good acidity, concentrated blueberry flavors, and fresh herb aromas with blackberry and vanilla notes. 

Food Pairings With Cune Rioja Wines

Cune Rioja wines complement Mediterranean foods, pasta, cured ham, beef, lamb, veal, poultry, and cheese.

Now, let’s take a look at how these wines are produced.

How Are Cune Rioja Wines Produced?

The grapes are softly pressed, and the grape juice is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks.

After around 12 days, the wines are transferred into oak vats for secondary, malolactic fermentation. Finally, they’re aged in American oak barrels for a year before being bottled.

Add A Fine Rioja Wine To Your Cellar!

Cune Rioja wines stand out for their incredible taste and enticing aromas. Some of these gems are age-worthy and carry brilliant investment potential.  

For example, you can cellar the 1939 CVNE Corona Semi Dulce for 20+ years! This wine also shows a stable price appreciation - its price grew by 42%, from $741 in 2020 to $1,197 in 2021.

Visit the Vinovest website to invest in the best Cune Rioja wines and other bottles. With Vinovest, you can easily buy, store, and sell investment-grade wines from all corners of the world.