The wine displays an intense prune colour. On the nose a pleasant perfume, strongly influenced by blueberry scent. In the mouth velvety, with medium acidity, moderate tannins and a pleasant fruity finish that last for a fair aftertaste.
Graciano is a difficult to cultivate and low yielding grape. It is rarely vinified as a varietal wine, but it provides a precious minority component to the Rioja blend. In fact, although the specific composition can vary considerably, a typical Rioja wine consists of at least 2/3 Tempranillo and up to 1/5 Garnacha, with a marginal addition of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano. The latest contributing valuable structure and ageing potential.
I discovered this wine while visiting the Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España, during a trip with my son in the Rioja region in August. C.V.N.E. was founded in 1879 by the two brothers Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa. Since then it has been controlled by descendants of the founding family. Nowadays the group comprises four wineries in the Rioja region: CUNE, Imperial/Real de Asúa, Viña Real and Contino.
An interesting curiosity: only a decade after having founded the winery, Eusebio and Raimundo commissioned the famous engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel the construction of a cellar. The artifact, started in 1890 and completed in 1909. It was very innovative: a roof supported by steel trusses eliminated the need for columns and allowed for a more efficient use of space, making racking, maintenance and monitoring of the wine barrels easier. Back then a significant functional improvement.
Although in my case the excitement for the discovery of a new, till then unknown varietal wine most likely overpowered the tasting experience, at 8.50 EUR I judge this Graciano a product well worth its price, which deserves to be enjoyed at least once.
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja
Grapes: Graciano
Type: Red
Vintage: 2016
Producer: Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España
Price range: Economic (<15 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 3/5