Contino Rioja Reserva 2018 750 ML

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.