Contino Blanco
⏳ Drinking Window
2020 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken or pork loin, grilled firm-fleshed fish, and creamy mushroom risotto.
✨ Technical Specifications
Viñedos del Contino, founded in 1973 by CVNE, pioneered the single-estate 'château' concept in Rioja Alavesa. The estate's rich history is tied to the 'continos'—the royal lifeguards who protected the Spanish monarchs since the 15th century. Contino Blanco is a sophisticated Spanish white wine, primarily composed of Viura with small percentages of Garnacha Blanca and Malvasía. Cultivated in the alluvial soils of a dramatic loop in the Ebro River, the vines enjoy a sheltered microclimate. The wine undergoes fermentation and aging in a combination of French oak barrels, acacia wood, and concrete vats, yielding a beautifully textured palate with vibrant acidity, mineral undertones, and complex notes of citrus, white peach, and refined oak spice.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1879 in Haro's iconic Barrio de la Estación by brothers Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa, Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (CVNE) stands as an architectural and viticultural pillar of DOCa Rioja. Still stewarded by fifth-generation descendants under CEO Víctor Urrutia, the historic house commands premier vineyard parcels across Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, rooted primarily in calcareous clay and alluvial gravel under an Atlantic-moderated continental climate. CVNE has historically driven technical modernizations, incorporating gravity-flow winemaking, Eiffel-engineered cellars, and early concrete fermentation vats alongside classical oak maturation. Viticulture emphasizes environmental stewardship, evidenced by active membership in International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA). The house crafts legendary expressions, from the flagship Imperial Gran Reserva and the singular Real de Asúa to pioneering whites such as Viña Real Blanco, Monopole Clásico, and the scarce Corona Gran Reserva, reflecting balance, age-worthiness, and traditional Spanish winemaking precision.
🍇 Grapes
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo