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Contino Rioja Reserva 2016 - First Bottle

Reviews

97 James Suckling - Read

This is so powerful and tightly wound with so much intensity and power. Full body. Crushed berries and hints of walnuts and cedar. Purity in fruit. Very subtle character, but great tension and richness.

94+ Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - Read

The renewed classical red 2016 Reserva was produced as a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. It fermented in small stainless steel and concrete vats and matured in 225-liter French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels for 18 months. It has a very expressive nose, open, aromatic and showy, a little Rhône-ish. 2016 was a cooler year and they had a long harvest, and it seems like the fruit ripened thoroughly without excess. It's a natural continuation of the 2015, when the wine already had more freshness and better integrated oak. It has a full body and some dusty tannins, finishing dry and tasty. It's ready to drink.

93 Wine & Spirits - Read

CVNE’s estate in Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa, covers 153 acres above the Ebro River. The clarity and ease of this Reserva reflect what is possible when Rioja is grown and made at the same place, the place happens to be prime and the team carefully selects the fruit. Given a cold soak with its skins and fermented spontaneously, the wine sustains fresh notes of violets, red currants and cherries, the tannins adding an herbal edge. Lively and bright, the wine left Berkshire chef Amy Loveless wanting the chewy crust of a wood-oven pizza topped with duck sausage.

93 Wine Enthusiast - Read

Fully ripe blackberry, cassis and prune aromas are a touch brandied and heady, indicating that this Reserva from a high-quality year needs a bit more time. A plump palate is both fleshy and flashy, with good depth. Plum, raspberry, currant and chocolaty oak flavors finish full and a touch creamy.

92 Wine Spectator - Read

This broad red shows inviting freshness, with black cherry and red plum notes that are pure and engaging. Accents of herb, graphite and black tea weave along through the smooth, toasty finish. Drink now through 2030.

Technical Details

Blend85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, and 5% Mazuelo
CountrySpain
RegionRioja
AppellationRioja
Aging/Cooperage18 months in 225 L 80% French oak and 20% American oak barrels
Alcohol14.5%

Contino Rioja Reserva 2016

Other Reds | Spain

JS97, WA94, W&S93, WE93, WS92

$50.00 $39.95 | 750mL

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Rioja lovers, this is what we’d call a classic “no-brainer”. Excellent vintage, huge press, a Reserva of wide fame and respect, and a jaw-dropping price. Contino’s ‘16 Reserva is a tamed beast of a wine, pumping out masses of crushed blue fruits, sultry barrel notes, surprising minerality and complexity, especially on the finish. We can’t recommend this more highly. We sourced it at a superb price, and you will be suitably impressed, for sure! To be honest, Rioja doesn't always do it for us...but this? What a deeply satisfying, rich, gorgeously polished, powerful wine!

Created by the legendary C.V.N.E., Contino was established in 1973 and was modeled after the First Growths of Bordeaux, pioneering single-vineyard wines in Rioja. It is also widely known as the first "chateau-styled" estate of Rioja. Sourced from the Laserna vineyard in Laguardia (no, this was not grown at the airport!), which is protected by the hill called the Cerro de la Mesa, which gives this vineyard its unique microclimate. This hill protects the vineyard from damaging winds, giving this wine its elegance and refinement, and helps to retain acidity in the wine. This should be a star in the cellar (no one needs to know you only paid $33!), with at least 15 more years of cellar-life in the tank. Should you choose to open it right away ('cause, why not?), we'd suggest an hour decant for this to really shine.

In recent years, the winery has been using more French oak for its wines, giving them a wonderful polish and texture that we simply LOVED. These wines just keep getting better. But hey, don’t just take our word...read all the critical acclaim below! BUT, do it pretty quick! We have only about 25 cases to go around. Awesome Tempranillo...while it lasts!!

PAIRING IDEAS: A simple yet perfect cheese and charcuterie plate is what this wants. Spend the money and get the finest Iberico ham from Spain that you can, the best Manchego cheese, or add in some Gaztazarra if you can find it. Some lightly toasted EVOO bread and you’re in Rioja heaven.

MUSIC SUGGESTIONS: “Work It Out” by Jurassic 5 and Dave Matthews puts us in the mood for some food and wine, oh yes!

About the Producer

Contino, the first Rioja château 1973, impelled by CVNE and the owners of the 62-hectare property located in the Rioja Alavesa. The history of the property dates from the 16th century and is reflected in its name. The “contino” was the officer in charge of a guard corps of a hundred soldiers who protected the royal family "de contino” (continuously) from the times of the Catholic Monarchs onwards. According to the tradition, Saint Gregory, the patron saint of vineyards, passed through the lands of this same Rioja property, giving rise to the use of his figure in the logo of this winery, and to the use of his name for some of the plots now planted with vines. The wine produced on this property, fruity and elegant, is heir to the best Rioja tradition. It is made with an individualized grape harvesting system in which only grapes from the same vineyards that surround the old manor house are used. Their origin in the various plots is noted. The perfect combination of soils, Atlantic-Mediterranean climate and refined technique have made Contino, more than 30 years after the first vintage, a reference product both in and outside Spain. The 62 hectares of Laserna vineyards in Laguardia are protected by the hill called the Cerro de la Mesa, which gives this land a characteristic orientation and mesoclimate. The hand-cut grapes are transported along a short road to the outbuildings so as to avoid damaging their qualities.