Contino, Gran Reserva Rioja Red

Manual harvest from a selection of our estate vineyards. After desteming, the grapes were fermented in 12,300 liters stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature between 82 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Total maceration time was between 15 to 20 days. The wine was placed into a mix of used French and American oak. Racking was done every 6 months. After two years in barrel, the wine was bottled and spent another two years in our underground cellars.

Winery: Contino
Appellation: Rioja
Average age of vines: 55
Farming Methods: Conventional
Maturation: Aged 20 months in French and American oak
Soil: Rocky limestone
Varietal: Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano, Granacha
Vineyard Orientation: 450 meters
Vineyard Size: 62 hectares

Wine	Scores	Downloads
Contino, Gran Reserva Rioja Red 2011	97 James Suckling Lots of ripeness and richness, but there’s a floral and citrus undertone to the blueberries. Full-bodied and layered with beautiful, ripe tannins and opulent, light earthy character. Smoked meat and ripe berries at the finish. Chocolate, too. It’s soft and flavorful at the end. Drink or hold.	Bottle Image Label Image Shelf Talker Tech Sheet
Contino, Gran Reserva Rioja Red 2015	95 Vinous Saturated garne. Expansive red and blue fruit, cured tobacco, potpourri, spice and succulent herb aromas, along with vanilla and smoky mineral notes. Sappy and expensive on the palate, offering mineral and spice-accented boysenberry, bitter cherry and floral pastille flavors that deepen and turn sweeter as the wine opens up. Shows sharp definition and spicy thrust on the impressively long, gently tannic finish, which leaves behind suggestions of juicy blue fruits and oak spices. 97 James Suckling Plenty of sandalwood, cedar, black-fruit and walnut aromas. So perfumed. Just a hint of dried fruit to add complexity. Full-bodied and layered with firm tannins, yet the ripe fruit is layered in-between. Gorgeous, succulent finish. One for the cellar. Drink or hold.	Bottle Image Label Image Shelf Talker Tech Sheet
Contino, Gran Reserva Rioja Red 2016	91 Wine Spectator A graceful red, well-defined by sleek, taut tannins and bright citrus peel acidity, this is tightly meshed at first but notes of black raspberry, cherry reduction, eucalyptus, graphite and anise unfurl on the palate and linger on the finish. Tempranillo, Graciano, Grenache and Viura. Drink now through 2030. 2,147 cases made, 300 cases imported.	Bottle Image Label Image Shelf Talker Tech Sheet
Contino, Gran Reserva Rioja Red 2017	94 James Suckling A fruity and juicy red with round tannins and savory fruit. Medium to full body and a creamy texture. Hints of caramel and meat to the dark fruit. 85% tempranillo, 10% graciano, 5% mazuelo and garnacha. Enjoyable now. 94 Wine Advocate The Contino vineyards escaped the frost from 2017, and the 2017 Gran Reserva, from a warm and dry year, is a blend of 82% Tempranillo, 5% Mazuelo, 10% Graciano and 3% Garnacha, the selection of the best grapes from different plots in the estate. This is 100% from the new team and from a vintage they consider very good for their property, different than the majority of Rioja. The idea is to follow the long aging in oak to continue with the tradition and keeping the freshness and controlling the power from the place. This is hedonistic and flattering, spicy after maturing in French barrique for 24 months. They harvested earlier than ever, in early September, and the wine reached 13.52% and has very good freshness with a pH of 3.47. It’s round and enjoyable, fresher than the last vintage I had tried. 29,483 bottles and 1,000 magnums produced. It was bottled in June 2020.	Bottle Image Label Image Shelf Talker Tech Sheet