Contino Reserva 940
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2035
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary, grilled prime ribeye steak, or aged Manchego cheese.
✨ Technical Specifications
Viñedos del Contino, established in 1973 by CVNE, revolutionized Rioja by introducing the single-estate 'château' concept to the region. Located in a sweeping bend of the Ebro River in Rioja Alavesa, the estate's history dates back to the 16th century, named after the 'contino'—the royal guards who protected the Spanish monarchs. The Contino Reserva is a masterful expression of this unique microclimate, where alluvial soils, limestone, and Atlantic influences shape the fruit. Typically composed of a classic blend dominated by Tempranillo, alongside Graciano, Mazuelo, and Garnacha, the wine undergoes meticulous fermentation followed by aging in a combination of French and American oak barrels. This process yields a wine of immense depth, balancing dark fruit, refined spices, and a mineral-driven elegance that honors its historic terroir.
🍾 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