C.V.N.E. Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España - (Haro, La Rioja)D.O.: RIOJAvCalificación de la Vendimia de Rioja 1964: EXCELENTE "Deemed by many "the vintage of the century," the 1964 growing season saw perfect conditions, exactly 200 days of vegetative cycle and the 1964 Viña Real was granted the Reserva Especial category by CVNE. The parameters were also textbook: 13.42% alcohol and bottled in June 1969. I'm sure there are more, but Dirk Niepoort and Álvaro Palacios were born that year, so a good crop for winemakers! There was some discussion about the 1964 Viña Real Reserva Especial, which is normal when a famous vintage is uncorked and expectations are so high; more often than not they cannot be fulfilled. However, for me this was still great bottle of 1964, powerful and expressive, still showing some fruit (a mixture of red and black berries) with plenty of spicy and tertiary notes, underbrush, truffles, mushrooms, polished but still with some clout. Quite complex, but not the best bottle of 1964 I've had. The track record is there, and the good bottles should have a long life ahead."