CVNE — shorthand for Compañia Vinicola del Norte de España — has been a source of classical Rioja for nearly a century and a half, and while Rioja is best known for its reds, its rarer white wines are what we use to assess a producer's potential. Unlike Rioja’s most famous white wines — Lopez de Heredia’s Tondonia and Gravonia, virtually ungettable these days and increasingly expensive — CVNE’s Monopole is readily available, remarkably consistent and affordably priced.
It's made from Viura grown in high altitude "Rioja Alta" vineyards. Rioja Alta is famous for being right at the crossroads between the northern, Atlantic-influenced climate, and the warmer, sunnier Mediterranean climes. And these grapes express that unique Riojana balance with both ripe fruit (the kind of pear and related flavors that critics like to describe as "roasted orchard fruit" or some such) and higher-toned fruit ("green stone fruits," some have called these notes). But whatever you call it, it's a delicious mix of flavors, framed by a lovely, almost understated freshness, and balanced with aromas of white flower and a touch of almond for complexity.
2023 was a challenging vintage but, as you would expect given how long CVNE have been doing this sort of thing, they nailed it. The trouble was some late season rain, which slowed down ripening and threatened to dilute the fruit. But CVNE had the expertise (and the risk tolerance) to leave the fruit out until everything was perfectly ripe and finely concentrated. The fact that that meant harvesting well into October probably would have scared many into harvesting inferior fruit earlier. But for CVNE, who knew the deal, it meant the sort of delicious flavor development you can only get when the vines are allowed to take their time.
