Asúa Rioja Crianza pays tribute to the Real de Asúa brothers who founded C.V.N.E. in the 1870s. This young and fiercely modern Spanish red offers sensational value for money that’s virtually impossible to beat.
Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España, which is shortened to CVNE but was once misspelled and has been known as Cune (pronounced “coo-nay”) by many ever since, is one of Riojas ‘big four’ based in Haro (the others being Muga, La Rioja Alta and Lopez de Heredia). Named after the pioneering Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa, whose descendants still run the winery to this day, this new wine was created using Tempranillo grown in the CVNE estate in the Rioja Alta sub-region and was vinified in the legendary Imperial winery and matured in a warehouse designed by Gustave Eiffel.
This is undeniably Spanish – right down to the label featuring a painting by the radical Madrid-born artist Eduardo Arroyo Rodríguez (a big fan of bullfighting who was less enamoured with Franco) – blending the spirit of traditional Rioja with modern winemaking techniques. Matured in a combination of French and America oak for 12 months, and then a further 6 months in the bottle before release, it’s a muscular brew of cherries, blackberries, blackcurrants, coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, spices, leather, woody spices and smoked peppercorns. Silky smooth, but the power and peppery forest fruit makes it a fine match for hearty dishes and comfort food on cold nights. So, we recommend thinking along the lines of stews, lamb, roasted mushrooms, herby sausages and tapas. Asúa is a gorgeous new thoroughbred from the CVNE stable that’s guaranteed to appeal to Rioja aficionados and Iberophiles.
SKU No.: 4166341
Style No.: 958444
Region: Rioja
Grapes: Tempranillo
Closure: Cork
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 14%
Volume: 750ml
Allergens: Sulphites