NV CVC

CVC means "Conjunto de Varias Cosechas," which is a blend of different vintages and used to be the lowest category in Rioja, sort of like a Vino de Tavola in Italy. As is the case with Super Tuscans, the Eguren family is releasing an NV CVC at astronomical prices—even higher than the cost of Super Tuscans! It's a blend of Tempranillo from 2008, 2009 and 2010 produced with grapes from the Finca San Pelayo, 1.49 hectares planted in 1960 in the village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, right next to their new winery. The three vintages aged separately on average for 70 months (almost six years) in new French oak barriques. This has a very classical, updated profile, harmonious, subtle and very balsamic but not oaky, developed and a little nutty with notes of marzipan, iodine, forest floor, truffles and cocoa but with no traces of new oak, which the wine has absorbed. They were inspired by old Riojas like the 1925 Castillo Ygay, which was aged in oak for decades yet kept its fruit and developed lots of complexity, balsamic notes and a surprising structure, a wine whose age is impossible to guess. This has a core of acidity that certainly lifts it up. It should live forever in bottle. The price tag left me scratching my head, though. 1,990 bottles were filled in September 2015.