A Classier Drop
Deep lurid ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berry, potpourri and fruitcake scents, along with suggestions of cola and smoky minerals. Concentrated and supple in texture, showing impressive depth and definition to the juicy black raspberry, cherry liqueur and mocha flavors. A suave floral quality emerges with air and carries through the very long, gently tannic finish, which leaves behind sweet red berry and vanilla notes.
93 points, Josh Raynolds, vinous.com, Feb 2019
It takes me right back to the tabernas of old Madrid, where I really cut my wine teeth; a juicy, sweet Rioja, packed with plum and cherry, thyme, blueberry and vanilla. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I realise this is a rather classier drop than the Riojas I used to drink in those tabernas. 2015 Contino is smooth and concentrated, and expresses the wood spice as much through sandalwood as vanilla - that's the mix of French and American oak showing through. It's still young and relatively primary by the standards of Rioja; the leather and loam, mushroom and Mexican spice are still to come.
Our last Contino offer was such a success (and we know that we ended up having to disappoint a lot of you) that when we were offered another parcel from another truly excellent vintage, we couldn't miss the chance. 2015 was a hot, dry year, where young vines struggled and old vines excelled; the vintage produced an intense, small-berried crop, full of flavour ripeness.
The Contino estate is a pretty special place; there have been vines here since medieval times, enjoying a sheltered, propitious site on a slope above a bend on the River Ebro. When the grand old bodega CVNE acquired the estate back in 1973, they made a wise decision. Rather than use the high-fruit here for blending, they allowed the estate to operate autonomously, in the process creating one of the region's first single-estate Riojas. /NT
Offered subject to confirmation; for shipment Winter 2020
