2018 | Viñedos del Contino | Contino Reserva

On the nose, echoes of healthy and mature red fruit in after a perfect maturation. Floral and balsamic notes add freshness, all together in harmony with subtle toasted notes from its time in barrel. In the mouth, fine and subtle with nice tannins and perfect acidity that make it a persistent wine with a long finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: I tasted two vintages of the estate red that represents the blend and the character of the place. The 2018 Reserva comes from a cooler year and is a blend of 86% Tempranillo, 6% Mazuelo, 6% Graciano and 2% Garnacha with 14.12% alcohol and a pH of 3.48. The grapes ripened thoroughly and the wine is tasty but has a vibrant palate with freshness and depth. It has a classical nose and is complex and spicy with an earthy touch, a little developed and with fine-grained tannins. Very tasty. It spent 18 months in oak barrels, 90% of them French and 10% American; they are reducing the amount of American oak in this wine.

• James Suckling: Black cherries with cedar and dried flowers, as well as dusty earth. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm tannins that are long and polished. Lots of structure. Very typical and focused.

Producer Information

Viñedos del Contino is a wine estate in Rioja Alavesa known for its ageworthy red wines based on Tempranillo, and often featuring Graciano. It was founded in 1973 as a partnership between the owners of Finca San Rafael in Alavesa, and a group of directors from CVNE. Since the end of 2013 the CVNE group has owned 95 percent of the company. Along with Remelluri, Contino is regarded as a pioneer of single-vineyard wines and the château concept in the region. This is in contrast to the traditional system of wineries being supplied by network of small growers. There are 62 hectares (153 acres) under vine in Laguardia, on alluvial pebble soils within a bend in the Ebro river, protected by the Cerro de la Mesa (Table Hill). Individual plots are cultivated seprately; fruit is all harvested by hand. The estate combines a modern winery with a 16th-Century cellar for aging wines in optimum temperatures and humidity levels. The former manor house upon which the estate was founded dates back to this time; a Contino was an officer in charge of a corps of guards who protected the royal family.

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