History
CVNE, or to give it its full name, Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España (The Northern Spanish Wine Company) was established on the 24th of March 1879 in Haro, Rioja. Set up by two brothers, Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa, their aim was to capitalise on the flourishing new trade in wine.
CVNE is based in Haro's traditional neighbourhood of the train station, in the heart of the Rioja wine region. Historically, some of the oldest wineries of Rioja Alta established themselves here in order to benefit from the ease of transport via rail to the port of Bilbao, the most efficient form of transport in those days.
By 1900, the winery had an extraordinary ageing capacity of 80,000 bottles, which was most unusual at the time, as most wineries sold their wines as soon as possible. CVNE is still controlled by the direct descendants of the founding family. Now in its fifth generation, the company has been quoted on the Madrid stock exchange since 1997. CVNE farms half of its grape crush. The remainder is purchased from long term growers. With three wineries in the region; Cune, Viña Real and Contino the winemakers have control over quality from vineyard to bottle.
Personalities
Victor Urrutia, CEO of CVNE, is a direct descendent of the founding brothers and is closely involved with the day to day management of the wineries. He is passionate in his desire to combine traditional winemaking methods with modern innovation.
Jorge Navascues joined Contino in August 2017, working the harvest together with Jesus Madrazo before taking the reins as Head winemaker of this renowned estate. Jorge grew up in a winemaking family and brings with him a wealth of experience as a Superior Technician in Oenology and Master in Viticulture, Oenology and Wine Marketing. Jorge has 19 years’ experience behind him, working vintages in various regions throughout Spain as well as abroad. He has also consulted on various projects in areas such as Cariñena, Calatayud, Navarra and Somontano, and collaborated with New Zealand’s Alistair Maling MW for two years at DO Calatayud.
Maria Larrea is CVNE's Chief Winemakers. Maria oversees the winemaking at the original winery in Haro, Rioja Alta and home to all the Cune and Imperial wines.
Eva de Benito heads up the winemaking at the state of the art winery - Viña Real in Rioja Alavesa.
The Vineyards
CVNE has a clear philosophy of a constant quest for quality, the respect for tradition and the commitment to innovate. CVNE is a great believer in the importance of viticulture, farming nearly half of their Rioja red grape needs. The remainder is purchased from long-term growers in Rioja.
In 2006 CVNE initiated a bold experiment, planting double the density of vines per hectare in order to reduce the yield and increase quality.
The Winery
The CVNE winery and headquarters have been at the Cune site in Haro since 1879.
The winery and its first cellar were built in the same year pioneering a new lighting system still in operation today. 20 years later more cellars were built incorportating an innovative new design inspired by the legendary architect, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Rather than use conventional columns to support the ceiling, metal trusses extend from wall to wall creating an open space that significantly improves the management of the barrels in the cellar. Here the wine is produced, bottled and aged. Cune aims to produce wines that combine tradition with a continuous drive to improve wine quality.
The French architect, Philippe Mazieres, has created a stunning modern winery (pictured to the right) made out of concrete, wood and stainless-steel. Completed in 2004, it is shaped like an enormous oak vat with two tunnels drilled into the mountain. The vat is divided into two levels. On the upper level, is the winery with its state of the art technology, including the first two vertical hoppers installed in Spain. On the lower level, there is a circular barrel room. The winery is linked to the bottling and ageing tunnels.
With foundations dating from the 16th Century, this 62 hectare estate is located in a bend in the River Ebro. Here, a particular microclimate gives a special character to the wine. The name Contino refers to the royal guard of 100 soldiers who continually, 'de contino', guarded the King and his family. One of their members, Don Pedro de Samaniego, was rewarded for his loyalty with the property, now home to Contino. In 1973, Contino established the concept of the 'Bordeaux Chateau' in Rioja, creating the first single estate Rioja.
The Wines
The CVNE portfolio is made up of 5 distinct ranges representing different regions and traditions of Rioja.
With heritage dating back over 100 years, this is one of Spain's oldest wine brands.
The name derives from the winery initials and comprises a White, Rosé, Crianza and
Reserva style. The wines are the modern expression of traditional winemaking in the Rioja Alta. Its top wine, created in 1994,
Real de Asúa is a tribute to the founding brothers of the winery. Produced from the very best grapes harvested at the property's vineyards in Villalba, it is vinified in its own cellar.
Imperial is one of the best known brands in Spain. A true Rioja classic, it was first produced in the 1920s with the aim of producing only top quality
Reserva and
Gran Reserva wines. Its name came after a special bottling for the English market, in a measure called 'Pinta Imperial' or 'Imperial Pint' (an Imperial pint is approximately half a litre). These wines are only produced in exceptional vintages.
Launched in the 1920s these wines are produced from grapes grown in the heart of the Rioja Alavesa province. The vineyards border the 'Camino Real' or 'Royal Drive'; hence the origin of the Viña Real name. It is one of the first brands to produce age worthy wines in the Rioja Alavesa from Tempranillo. The balanced, elegant wines combine New World fruit intensity with Old World style, often compared to the wines of Burgundy. The elegant and complex flagship,
Pagos de Viña Real, is produced from old vine Tempranillo grapes which have been rigorously hand selected.
Viñedos del Contino is one of Spain's most important wine estates. Established 1973, it is a single vineyard estate, producing a small selection of wines including the prized Graciano and Viña del Olivo which is regarded as one of the best wines of modern Spain. Winemaker Jesús Madrazo, son of the founder, strives to be at the forefront of Riojan fine wine making whilst preserving established traditions.
Cavas since 1882 - traditional method pioneers with 136 years' experience of producing sparking wine.
