2019 Contino Reserva Rioja 750 ml

The Compañia Vinícola del Norte de España—also known as “CVNE,” or the more pronounceable “CUNE”—is a pioneer in Rioja. They produced the first Spanish wine to earn the #1 spot on Wine Spectator’s Top 100, and they were the nation’s first winery to employ gravity-flow technology in the cellar.

So for one of their projects to stand out as being extra-luxe, it really has to produce outstanding wines—but since 1973, Contino has been one of CVNE’s flagships. They were explicitly modeled on the First Growths of Bordeaux—the first “château” in Rioja, with one vineyard and a true devotion to terroir.

Contino owns more than 150 acres of some of the best vineyard land in Rioja, located on a bend of the Ebro River. The oldest vines date back to the 1930s; those employed for the Riserva range between 25 and 60 years of age. The soils are alluvial, a mix of pebbles, clay, and sand, similar to what you find in Napa. In the distance, the Cerro de la Mesa stands tall, shielding the vines from damaging winds and providing the site with a unique microclimate.

We visited Contino after last year’s Bordeaux en primeur tastings, and it was fitting that we still had the harmonious, ripe reds of the Left Bank on our lips as we headed towards Contino, one of our favorite sources of Rioja Reserva. Tasting through the 2019 vintage before it was released, it was clear that it was a landmark: One of the greatest years in the region and a worthy challenger to 2010 for best of the decade.