Contino Reserva 938
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2035
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted rack of lamb, traditional Spanish beef stews, or aged Manchego cheese.
✨ Technical Specifications
Viedos del Contino, established in 1973 by CVNE, pioneered the single-estate 'ch"teau' concept in Rioja. Located in a dramatic loop of the Ebro River in Rioja Alavesa, the estate benefits from alluvial soils rich in limestone and clay. The name 'Contino' pays homage to the royal guards ('continos') who protected Spanish monarchs in the 15th century, whose ancestral home still graces the property. This Reserva is typically a classic blend dominated by Tempranillo alongside Graciano, Garnacha, and Mazuelo, aged in French and American oak casks. It represents a harmonious marriage of traditional Rioja structure with modern precision, offering dark berry fruit, balsamic notes, and refined mineral complexity.
🍾 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.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo