# Contino Reserva (2021)

- **Producer:** Viñedos del Contino
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo, Garnacha
- **Region:** Rioja, Spain
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €30
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blackberry, blueberry, cherry, plum, violet, black pepper, liquorice, vanilla, cloves, cedar, smoke, toast, leather, tobacco, forest floor, wet leaves

## About this wine

Viñedos del Contino, established in 1973, is a historic estate in Rioja Alavesa, Spain, widely recognized as the region's first single-estate "château" concept winery. Located in a meander of the Ebro River near Laguardia, the estate's Finca de San Rafael spans 62 hectares of alluvial and clay-limestone soils. The name "Contino" refers to the royal guard officer who once inhabited the ancient manor house. The 2021 vintage was highly acclaimed by winemaker Jorge Navascués as one of the finest in 15 years, despite a severe June hailstorm that drastically reduced yields, resulting in an extremely limited production of just 30,600 bottles.

## Interesting facts

- Contino was the first single-estate 'château' concept winery established in Rioja, changing the region's blending tradition in 1973.
- The name honors the 'Contino', a royal guard officer who permanently protected the Spanish royal family and lived on the estate.
- A severe hailstorm in June 2021 reduced the vintage's yield to just 30,600 bottles, making it an exceptionally rare release.

## Food pairing

The wine's rich texture, chewy tannins, and vibrant acidity demand dishes with high protein and fat content to soften the structural tannins. The savory complexity and balsamic notes of the aged Rioja pair beautifully with game, roasted meats, and earthy mushroom dishes.

## Wine making process

The hand-harvested grapes are refrigerated for 24 hours at 12ºC before undergoing strict optical sorting. Spontaneous alcoholic fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in small stainless steel and concrete tanks at 26–28ºC, with each micro-plot vinified separately. Following spontaneous malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged for 18 months in 225-liter oak barrels, consisting of 95% French and 5% American oak. The wine is bottled and refined in the estate's cellars for at least 12 months before release.