Rioja

ROCKIN’ RIOJA FROM RODA

This has been a rather interesting story since the onset. When we first ran into the label years ago, it was one of the more impressive newcomers we had seen. Yes it was Rioja within the definition of the appellation, but somehow there was a deeper color, plumper mouth feel, and bluer fruit than we had generally experienced in our extensive ‘research’ with a variety of labels in the region. We took this fresher fruit style to be a more modern but very successful take on the genre and we were big fans in those early years.

Some time later, new offerings from Roda seemed to miss the mark, and what had been an exciting new source for us previously was eclipsed by a number of things we found as we continued our research into the region. We weren’t as enthusiastic in seeking out the newest releases and, for a time, we didn’t see the wine at all. A couple of years ago the Roda label reappeared with a new distributer and clearly had rediscovered their mojo. This 2019, essentially their second tier bottling, is the best Roda we have tasted in that series.

Roda’s history isn’t as lengthy as some of the bodegas in the region. Their explanation is “in the late 80’s, a new generation renews the vine and wine sector. Carmen Daurella and Mario Rotllant arrived in La Rioja with the firm intention of creating a project able to provide the world of winemaking with something new. This is where a fascinating, ambitious, exigent and unprecedented adventure began: Bodegas Roda.” We aren’t sure what that means but they seem to be doing everything right.

Their fruit comes only from their estate vineyards and certain parcels are selected for each expression (there are five) of Roda’s wines. In their words, “In RODA we look for the parcels that that year have ripened in a red fruit profile, with the expression of the aromas present in the edge of the glass, ready to be felt immediately; with sweet spice notes and a kind freshness. In the mouth the red fruit carries the importance, with a fresh, long, silky, voluptuous and continuous mouth pass.” The vineyards are sustainable, and no chemicals are used.

The vines for the Roda Rioja Reserva 2019 bottling are over 30 years old and bush vines, harvested by hand into small crates. The grapes are sorted on a conveyor belt then fermented in upright French, temperature-controlled oak vats. Malolactic occurs in 225L barriques. The wine then spends 14 months in French oak, 40% new, and then 22 months in bottle until release. The blend for this vintage is 91% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and 4% Garnacha. The wine has gotten some nice press already.

Luis Gutierrez from Wine Advocate wrote, “The wines are quite transparent of the vintage conditions, with the 2019 Roda being round, lush and velvety, with polished and sleek tannins and more volume and concentration, reflecting a low-yielding, warm and dry year. This is a cuvée with more red than black fruit produced with 91% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and 4% Garnacha from 30-year-old vines fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in French barriques, 50% of them new, the other 50% second-use for 14 months. It’s a red with 14.5% alcohol, ripe fruit, measured oak and integrated acidity…92 points.”

And from James Suckling, “Fruity and primary with rich black cherries, red plums and damsons, adorned by some coffee, black pepper and chocolate. A pretty, modern, juicy expression of Rioja with a medium to full body, rounded by assertive and fine-grained tannins. Long, with some dark chocolate in the finish. Drink from 2023… 93 points.”

That said, we’ll politely disagree a little. We’ll give the scribes the benefit of the doubt since both notes are nearly a year old. Presumably this wine has developed further in the bottle because what we tasted was pretty sensational. It hits all of the notes that the best Roda efforts have. The fruit is bright, tender and complex, with the dark red fruits they claim they are looking for in full bloom and even leaning a little blue. Black cherry, ripe plum, and even impressions of blackberry, spice notes, vanilla, dark chocolate, it is succinctly balanced and both modern and engaging. This is an expressive, hedonistic, beautiful, refined bottle of Rioja that really rang our proverbial bell from the first whiff.

BEST VERSION OF AN UNDER THE RADAR HOUSE FAVORITE

Yes , we do talk a lot and sell a lot of wine. But there are things we talk about more sparingly simply because they are delicious comfort wines for and we would stock them anyway even thought they are very much under the radar and rarely get attention from the wine media since they don’t make a habit of submitting samples. Still the wines from Bodegas Ramón Ayala Lete e Hijos Viña Santurnia have had a consistent home here at many levels (particularly reserva and gran reserva levels) because they check all of the boxes and do so and extremely attractive prices. They are the kind of wines that wine merchants drink because they are pure, honest, traditional and very well priced.

Located right in the border between Rioja Alta and Alavesa, the Ayala’s family property is in prime real estate. Standing in their property you can see the Barrio de la Estación in Haro, the Tondonia vineyard by the river, and the walls of the Sierra Cantabria in your back. The Ayalas have been involved in the Rioja business for generations. They have two brands: “Viña Santurnia”, for the traditional Rioja aging levels, and “Deóbriga” for wines made with a more modern approach at spectacular prices.

The impetus for this particular piece is the arrival of the Bodegas Ramón Ayala Lete e Hijos Viña Santurnia Rioja Reserva 2016, a classic, traditional Rioja from one of the best vintages in Rioja in recent memory. The grapes come from family vineyards at the foot of the Sierra Cantabria Mountains or Sonsierra. The grapes are harvested manually between the first and third week of October so they are optimally ripe. They are destemmed and moved by gravity into steel tanks for fermentation. The blend, 90% Tempranillo, 5% Manzuelo, and 5% Graciano, are placed in oak barrels, 80% American and 20% French, for the traditional period of 24 months.

This Rioja has a healthy garnet color and the inviting and complex nose of mulberry, cherry, plum, spice, cocoa, a hint of vanilla and a whiff of smoked meat that only bottle age can bring about. In the mouth the wine has the tenderness of time in the bottle and the richness and balance that is the hallmark 2016 Riojas. On other words very engaging, supple, beautifully done ‘old school’ Rioja.

If you need scores and highlights, like we said, we couldn’t find anything recent from the press on Santurnia wines. The best recommendation we can give you is that these wines find their way into our glasses pretty regularly, and this 2016 Reserva is one of the best examples we have had from them. Salud.

TORRES GRAN CORONAS CABERNET 2017

Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better in the wine world, but that does not mean they should be ignored. Take the Torres label in Spain. They make a lot of wine, and a good bit of it is solid, but rarely much beyond that. They do however make the Gran Coronas Mas la Plana Cabernet which is consistently a serious bottle of red wine, and do occasionally hit home with one of their regular bottlings. We had no expectations from this out-of-towner, Pinedes-centric producer with respect to a Rioja Crianza that we had not seen previously, but the Torres Rioja Crianza Altos Ibéricos 2017 is one of those exceptions.

We’ll be the first to admit that if we saw this wine on someone’s shelf, we likely wouldn’t have given it much thought other than acknowledging it existed. That would not have been fair to the tasty juice in the bottle. Darker fruit and a riper style than typical Riojas in this price range, it gives you a good blast of cassis and black plum fruit with accents of spice, vanilla and damp earth. Soft and easy going, it’s a great pop-and-serve red wine choice given its demeanor and very modest price ($12.98) and a considerably more interesting drink than you will typically find in a red in this kind of price range including, most ‘value’ Cabernets.

James Suckling seemed to take a liking to it as well writing, “Dark cherry, plum, cedar and tobacco on the nose. Full-bodied with chewy tannins. Nicely structured with lively acidity that provides freshness. Chalky and soft texture with a flavorful finish. Drink or hold…92 points.”

Like we said, bigger isn’t necessarily better in wine as a rule. But when they do hit one, those ‘economies of scale’ and established distribution systems can get things on the shelf for surprising prices. A great buy most folks probably wouldn’t give a second look.

AN IMPORTANT NEW FACE IN RIOJA

Even though Spain is a country of history and tradition, there are a number of things happening that question the established order of thing and, in some cases, boldly go where few have travelled. In Rioja, arguably the most traditional wine region in Spain, there is a lot of new thinking, some of which is generational. In some cases, this new thinking involves going back to the ‘old ways’ in the vineyard. The path of young, influential winemaker Arturo de Miguel Blanco is a fine example of that.

Arturo’s family has grape vines, and a strong belief in their land. Their ‘vision’ is to focus on specific terroirs and ‘return the power to the growers’. Arturo has converted all of their vineyards to organic farming and has purchased an additional 3.2 hectares in the villager of Samaniego and Villabuena de la Sonsierra, bringing their total holdings to 28.9 hectares of principally 30-40 year-old vines, mostly Tempranillo with some Garnarcha and Viura. Their ‘terroirs’ are primarily calcerous sandstone (somewhat similar to Barbera and Barbaresco).

As we have discussed on a couple of occasions, there is a trend among producers to eschew the standard classifications of Rioja of Reserva, Grand Reserva, etc. The thinking is that the standard Rioja designations are about the ‘process’, and strictly define what course a producer must follow to use the designation on the label. It involves rules on time in barrel and time in bottle, but has no requirements or regard for the sourcing.

In our minds there is nothing inherently wrong with that system. But we also understand the thinking of the new wave of vintners. They are more interested in recognizing villages and individual estates for their terroirs and being free to make the wines however they see fit for their vineyards without regard to structured rules about barrel time and bottling. There are some pretty loud voices supporting that stance, among them the likes of Telmo Rodriguez and Juan-Carlos López de Lacalle of Artadi. Arturo di Miguel is in that camp.

As we were presented these wines for the first time, the focus of the information seemed to be centered on the two site-specific bottlings, Paso de las Manas and Finca de los Locos. They were just fine but that day the show was stolen by the Artuke Rioja Pies Negros 2019, a remarkably expressive, engaging, high quality effort at a surprising price given the quality. Pies Negros is Spanish for ‘black feet’, a reference to the foot-trodding that is part of this wine’s upbringing.

The source here are high altitude vineyards tucked just below the Sierra Cantabria Mountains in Rioja Alta village of Abalos at about 1900-foot elevation. The blend here is 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano that are de-stemmed and, yes, foot-trodden. Maceration in stainless steel is followed by a 12-14 month sojourn in 80% French and 20% American oak barrels, second and third fill.

Visually this is rather dark in color as Riojas go. The nose showcases deep, dark, very pure cherry fruit that hits with almost laser-like precision. Plush, layered, polished, this wine looks and tastes like something costing twice the price and possesses a depth and freshness that is kind of uncommon for the genre. The purveyor’s ‘pitch’ was ‘serious wine at a not so serious price,’ which in this case is entirely accurate.

We taste a lot of Spanish wines and it isn’t easy to surprise us, but the Pies Negros had a unique personality and a very engaging demeanor that took us a little off-guard. How could something this compelling only cost twenty bucks!? Even within the context of Spanish value, this one is a notch above.

Curiously, with regard to press, the Wine Advocate has followed the winery and said very nice things about the 2017 Pies Negros (92 points), the 2018 (93 points), and the 2020 (92+ points). But Luis Gutierrez did not taste the 2019s, (other than the already bottled entry level which got 90 points) because they were not yet bottled. Too bad since 2019, considered outstanding by the Riojanos, is by far the best vintage of the group. It would likely score higher. Guess it’s still under the radar which is fine by us. A serious new name in Rioja.

AMAZING RED FOR UNDER $20? ESPAÑA, POR SUPESTO

We wrote a longer piece as an email a while ago, but for a variety of reasons we haven’t ‘pulled the trigger’ as yet. This is not to say that we won’t send an email in the future, but given the uncertain supply lines these days, we don’t want this to disappear before we’ve had a chance to mention it because, in its way, its special.

We know that, while we have been ambassadors for Spanish wines going way back, there are still folks that haven’t ridden the Spanish train yet. For those folks, a little background. La Rioja Alta has been around since 1890. They have had a long time to figure things out. There’s always a fear the old companies will lose their edge over time but, according to an article in the Wine Advocate, they invested some “nine million Euros in improving their vineyards and winery, including an optical sorting table” not long ago. Nobody is resting on their laurels at this address.

The easiest part of the equation is the production itself. Rioja is produced in a warm, sunny place with cool nights (ideal for wine grapes in preserving balancing acidity) and is released with bottle age at a fraction of what equivalent quality reds (without any bottle age) from elsewhere sell for. As more and more folks figure that out, there will be continually less Rioja to go around.

Here we have the La Rioja Alta Rioja Vina Alberdi 2016, a 5- year-old red from 40-year-old estate vines planted in chalk and clay soils. By definition it is given two years of bottle age in American oak barrels that is coopered right there on the estate. The price point is around $20. Unbelievable? In most places, yes. In Spain, at La Rioja Alta, it is the way of things.

This 100% Tempranillo did not come as a surprise to us because we are quite familiar with their work. These guys have been doing this for a long time. We reported some four years ago that, even among an enormously successful run of wines here, their 2010 Alberdi did seem to have another gear and surpassed anything we’ve tasted prior. We feel the same way about the 2016.

We have stated our thoughts on 2016. It is a fantastic vintage is the southern Rhone, Piedmont, Tuscany, Bordeaux, and, yes, Spain. The balance of fruit, tannin and acidity is extraordinary, the wine appearing almost seamless front to back. There is both power and finesse to the fruit cores of the 2016s from Rioja.

The La Rioja Alta Rioja Reserva Vina Alberdi 2016 is rich, dark, sleek, and long. This bottling, as we have said, has typically one of the most dependable in this price range from anywhere. But, like the 2010, this particular effort is special, and in fact may be better by virtue of its fleshier mid-palate and concentrated fruit than that memorable 2010. It is also remarkably versatile with food.

We’d point out that this wine is usually tasted in the context of its higher level siblings. We first had this one at an event showcasing the entire La Rioja Alta portfolio including some flashy library bottlings. Even in that disadvantageous environment, this wine made a big impression on our us. That was reconfirmed at a more recent sampling. Simply, this can be a core piece of anyone’s wine matrix. It has been a consistent part of mine over the last few months.

Apparently Vinous’ Josh Reynolds, who gave this one as high a mark as he has given any Vina Alberdi, is on board. He said this, “Glistening ruby-red. Spice-tinged red fruit and floral aromas pick up hints of coconut and succulent herbs with air. Silky and expressive on the palate, offering appealingly sweet cherry and raspberry flavors and a spicecake nuance that builds steadily in the glass. Closes long and smooth, with repeating florality and subtle tannins that come in late…92 points.”

The complex fruit, elegance, lift and refined tannins make for a marvelous drink. The remarkable food versatility is a bonus. We’ve often said amongst ourselves when tasting wines like this, given all of the other reasons we have mentioned…quality…price…bottle age, “Why doesn’t everyone drink Spanish wines?” A no-brainer while it lasts.

RIOJA RESERVA STEAL LOST IN PLAIN SIGHT?

Let’s say you are in one of the strongest Spanish wine portfolios in all the land, yet some of your stablemates are among the most iconic labels (Muga, Sierra Cantabria, and Senorio de San Vincente). What does that mean for your bodega? Well, the way we see it, you are definitely in a group that will be appreciated by fans of Spanish wines, but you will likely not be the first name on everyone’s request list. The press for the most part won’t be paying as much attention to you either. Our question here is, if you are Ramirez de la Piscina and you have been consistently upping your game, have people noticed?

We have known about this winery and consistently carried their wines for a couple of decades. We have noted over the last few releases that these very traditional Riojas have shown seemingly more flash and fruit than we recall. When we had a bottle, it definitely satisfied. That said, we’ve definitely noticed a step up in quality and flair from a winery that had always delivered. This 2016 Ramirez de la Piscina Rioja Reserva is the best effort we have had from them yet. Very traditional yet with layers of outgoing fruit rolling down the midpalate, there’s simply more of everything here.

There is no lack of history with this estate. In early 1945, Julio Ramírez de la Piscina, followed the tradition inherited from his parents in Ábalos, and continued cultivating the family vineyards in San Vicente de la Sonsierra and began producing traditional Rioja wines. In 1973, Bodegas Ramírez was officially founded and began to sell bottled wine under this name. In 1980, the fourth generation of the Ramírez de la Piscina family took over management of the winery, and in 1987, the name was changed to Bodegas Ramírez de la Piscina. The name change honors the family’s historic surname, which is an ancient aristocratic Medieval Riojan name, originating from a 12th Century Romanesque church nearby the vineyards called Santa María de la Piscina.

All of the vineyards are estate owned and the vast majority of the plantings are Tempranillo on high-density trellis. The oldest Tempranillo vineyards are head-trained, and the family owns a few small plants of Garnacha, Viura, and Malvasia, that are used for the Rosado and Blanco. Ramirez de la Piscina champions the tradition of aging classified, traditional styled Rioja, but as time has passed they seem to be packing more fruit into their wines. This 2016 Ramirez de la Piscina Reserva is very traditional in its spice, leather and mineral nuance to the dark red and black fruit core. The difference here is it seems they came along and laid an extra layer of fruit across the top.

Others seem to agree. James Suckling said, “This shows tightness and balance with energy. Black fruit with mushroom and earth. Some cocoa, too. It’s medium-bodied with firm tannins and a fresh, linear finish. Drink or hold…92 points.”

Josh Raynolds of Vinous was also enthused, “Bright violet. Mineral-tinged red and blue fruit preserve and floral scents are complemented by hints of vanilla, tobacco and licorice. Sappy, expansive black raspberry and blueberry flavors smoothly blend weight and energy and pick up an allspice nuance on the back half. Closes long and appealingly sweet, with round, even tannins and an echo of sappy blue fruit…92 points.”

We feel like these folks have upped their game and want to make sure people notice. It’s tough when your distribution scenario, while one of the best and most dedicated for Spanish wines, includes some of the top names in the category. This 2016 is fruit-driven, delicious, one of my current ‘take-home’ favs and very well priced ($19.98) for a classy reserva (that outperforms a lot of gran reservas) from a great vintage.

SIERRA CANTABRIA GRAN RESERVA OTRA VEZ

Yeah, we ran this as an email a while back. Sold a bit of it, too. But, being honest, we were a little disappointed in the response. We aren’t usually ones to repeat ourselves but, in this case, we wonder if we didn’t quite convey our enthusiasm well enough. Or was it the day we chose to run it, on a low-key Sunday as opposed to one of our typical weekday slots? Was the one number we posted, all there was at the time, not big enough? Not sure what it was but clearly the message didn’t resonate the way we expected.

This is a special wine, from an exceptional vintage, made by a trusted house, that delivered high quality with over a decade of bottle age for less than you’d pay for a middling, new release Napa Cabernet. It’s fabulous with steak but far more versatile than most other red wine choices with a wide range of foods. We literally drink this about once a week at my house and just wanted to make doubly sure everyone saw the message. That’s all we can do so here’s the piece again.

“We have been fans of Sierra Cantabria at many levels for a couple of decades. We almost feel a familial connection with a couple of Rioja producers (Sierra Cantabria, Muga, La Rioja Alta, and Lopez de Heredia) as we have met the owners, visited the wineries, and sold their wines consistently for a long time. Even though there are no ‘automatics’ here, and we seriously look hard at every new vintage from these vaunted producers, it is almost inconceivable that we wouldn’t have something on the floor from each of them. They are staples for the genre.

“Within that context, you have your high points, and today’s offer is one of those. We were huge fans of the delicious Sierra Cantabria Rioja Gran Reserva 2009, one of the uncanny successes from this warm, successful-but-not-‘epic’ vintage. This time we are talking about the 2010 edition, from a vintage that has been acclaimed as one of the ‘best ever’ from a fairly broad historical perspective. We have been waiting for months for this to arrive, the process bogged down not only by the usual pandemic-tariff-shipping scenario that has had an impact on everything, but an additional delay thanks to the importer changing horses and the ‘new guy’ getting their system in order.

“As to the vintage, we’ll put it simply…on the Wine Advocate vintage chart 2010 was the highest rated vintage along with 2016 and 2004, and a point higher than 2001. In other words, pretty rare company as vintages go. The story here is that the Sierra Cantabria Rioja Gran Reserva 2010 is a traditional blend of 98% Tempranillo and 2% Graciano from vines planted between 1950 and 1970. Those vineyards employ ‘practicing organic,’ dry-farmed viticulture with certain selective biodynamic practices.

“The grapes undergo rigorous double-manual sorting, both before and after destemming then temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel followed by malolactic fermentation in barrel. The wine then spends 26 months in American oak barrels as is tradition for ‘gran reservas’, 25% new.

“So how does this differ from the 2009? More nuance, more elegance, more complexity. The nose starts with the same kind of billowing dark fruits, but there is more focus and definition, and an even greater sense of purity. Black fruits, damp earth, savory spice and notes of cocoa, it’s a complex mélange of scents. The same flavors are the central theme on the palate with a supple core of fruit as the focus. Brightness to the flavors, tender edges, and more evident layers across the palate, this is a very complete and complex version of this wine that is a notch or two higher qualitatively than anything we have tasted previously. Given this series, that’s saying something.

Not all of the critics have weighed in on this one as yet, but the early reviews are impressive, particularly for a wine with this kind of elegant profile. Wine Specator’s take was, “An edge of tar and smoke lines the cherry, clove and herb flavors in this complex red, which is focused and balanced. Mineral elements and woodsy notes combine on the long finish. Drink now through 2032… 93 points.”

“Vinous’s Josh Raynolds wrote, “Bright ruby-red. Highly perfumed red fruit, floral and spice aromas are complemented by subtle vanilla and coconut accents. Smooth, focused and gently sweet, offering raspberry, cherry-vanilla and candied rose flavors and an earthier hint of tobacco. Fine-grained tannins lend shape to a long, energetic finish that strongly repeats the red fruit note. Raised in a 50/50 mix of French and American oak barrels, 25% of them new… 93 points.”

We suspect other critics will be along with big numbers in time, but this little jewel might not be around by then. A lovely, layered, complex Rioja that expresses the kind depth that only a truly great vintage can deliver, the Sierra Cantabria Gran Reserva 2010 is the complete package. With a little air, it’s sensational now, and will easily perform for another decade or two. Here is a gorgeous, top-notch reserve level wine, with a decade of bottle age, for under $40. Nowhere else but Spain does this.

TOUGH NAME, STUNNING RIOJA

We’ll get the name, which will be a stumbling block for some, out of the way first. The property is called Castillo de Cuzcurrita (Cuzcurrita Castle), and the wine itself, the premium bottling from this estate, is Senorio de Cuzcurrita. Located half an hour west of Haro, Rioja’s ‘holy city’, is a castle with a history dating back to the 14th Century. We love getting into historical stuff but there isn’t space this time around (the owner is completely renovating the property to preserve the unique architecture). The castle has seen many owners over its life time but the current owner, whose name was never mentioned anywhere that we read, purchased the property in 1999.

Within the courtyard of this castle is an enclosed vineyard containing vines up to 80-years-of-age which was the inspiration for this wine. Winemaker Ana Martin, who has a reputation in Spain but has few wines in this market, was hired to make magic here. The owner underwrote a modern gravity flow winery for the property, no small task given the terrain, and the first vintage was a 1999. The proprietor was so pleased with it he decided to sell it commercially the following year.

There’s a lot of info to digest but we’ll try and keep it tight. Located in the hamlet of Cuzcurrita del Rio Tiron, at 600 meters above sea level, in Rioja Alta, this is the coolest and highest microclimate within the DO. The walled vineyard is the heart of this cuvee and the rest of the grapes come from long term contracts from bush pruned vines averaging 30 years of age, the farming is predominantly organic, and the grapes (100% Tempranillo) are harvested by hand into small crates to protect the grapes from bruising or breaking.

The wines are fermented in stainless steel with malolactic occurring in barrel then the juice sees 12 months in new, second and third year, French-oak
Bordeaux-style casks with a fine wood grain and medium toast followed by 5
months in 20,000-litre concrete vats for blending the wine before bottling. This wine, from the extraordinary 2016 vintage, was bottled in April, 2018 with no stabilization or filtration. Minimal intervention to be sure, and what a result.

As one piece we read about Ana Martin offered, “This is not a powerhouse wine, but a refined Tempranillo, with breeding and style that suit its castle upbringing.” Lovely black-cherry color, with an intense, complex nose with
aromas of dark fruits like ripe black plums, blueberries and blackcurrants, with some spice, balsamic nuances, cedar wood and anise coming through. Smooth, juicy mouth-feel with soft, enveloping tannins. Complex, well-balanced and elegant with a long, gentle finish and haunting aromatics.

We don’t know a lot about Ana, but this is one whale of a wine…silky, layered, tender, sleek, oozing with class. The traditional trappings of Reserva and Gran Reserva have no relevance here as this is a wine with more of an eye to a great Margaux for its inspiration. We had nothing quite like this, nor have we tasted anything quite as polished and engaging from this part of the world.

UN CONTINO MUY ESPECIAL

As you surely know if you have been seeing our offers for any length of time, we have been fans of the talented folks at CVNE for a long time. But among their three separate, high performance wineries, Contino holds a special place for us. Back in the early 90s, before the coming of the ‘Spanish invasion’ lead by Jorge Ordonez and Eric Solomon, there were two wineries that kind of opened our eyes to the world of Spanish wines in general. One of them was Contino (the other was Mauro for reference sake). We have plying the varied wares from CVNE (Compañía Vinícola del Norte del España, aka Cune) under their Contino, Vina Real and Imperial labels, ever since.

That means there is almost always something exciting from them coming down the pipe under one of those three labels, all of which are run as separate wineries. Among them Contino has a somewhat unique position. The Cune people refer to Contino as the ‘first chateau in Rioja’, a reference to the comparison between this property and the typical profile of a Bordeaux chateau. The estate is formed by 62 hectares of vineyard in Rioja Alavesa, considered the best of the three regional designations in Rioja (Baja, Alta, and Alavesa). Contino, as it exists today was founded in 1973.

The history of the property itself dates from the 16th century, and that history is reflected in its name. The “contino” was the officer in charge of the guard corps of a hundred soldiers who protected the royal family “de contino” (continuously) from the times of the Catholic Monarchs onwards.

A single vineyard wine is still a pretty rare thing in Rioja, though that is changing somewhat with a surge of winemakers passionate about establishing more specific ‘village’ and ‘pago’ (vineyard) identities. We have done a number of offers on Contino over the years, our last missive on the Rioja Reserva 2014. When we wrote that piece, we closed with saying we got the deal on the 2014 “probably because the purveyor was itching to get their hands on the highly publicized 2015 and 2016 vintage.” Now we can see why. The 2015 is muy, muy bueno!

This Reserva is made up of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, and 5% a combination of Mazuelo y Garnacha. The wine is made in the traditional manner and placed in barrels already used oak (40% American and 60% French) where it remained for two years plus the additional minimum of two more years in bottle aging in the cellars until it is released to the market.

It has the same style points as the previous classics, but has more volume, richness, and outgoing fruit. The color is a deep, vibrant maroon, and the nose gives the immediate impression of ripe cassis and black cherry.

In the mouth there is simply ‘more’. The fruit is lush and vibrant, the acidity is refined and well tucked away, and its is loaded with engaging ripe flavors. Like a Bordeaux, this Contino Rioja Reserva 2015 exudes elegance, yet in this vintage there is an increased level of juiciness. It differs from other great vintages in that it is, flat out, flashier from start to finish.

Early ‘reports’ are impressive. From Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez, “…a blend…t hat wants to express the character of the Contino estate…It feels fresher than the 2014, and it also shows younger, with better integrated oak, subtle aromas and nice balance. It’s medium-bodied, with very fine tannins and good freshness, integrated and balanced. I look forward to tasting the 2016 of this wine, because this 2015 is going in a direction that I like…94 points.”

James Suckling was gushing in this review from 2018, “This shows so much intense dark berry such as blueberries and blackberries with hints of flowers. Lavender too. Full body, dense tannins with freshness and intensity. So tight and focused. A classic Rioja. Need five to six years of bottle age to come around. Try in 2024… 96 points.”

You can wait if you want to, but we have enjoyed a few bottles already with relish thanks to that outgoing fruit component. Either way, this is a real winner from a source with a great track record.

GREAT NEW JUICE FROM SIERRA CANTABIA

It’s a family affair in a way. We have been fans of Sierra Cantabria at many levels for a couple of decades. We almost feel a familial connection with a couple of Rioja producers (Sierra Cantabria, Muga, La Rioja Alta, and Lopez de Heredia). We have met the owners, visited the wineries, and sold their wines consistently for a long time. Even though there are no ‘automatics’ at Winex, and we look hard at every new vintage of everything, it is almost inconceivable that we wouldn’t have something on the floor from each of these producers.

Sierra Cantabria just recently rolled out an impressive ‘triple play’. The lineup is distinctive, with stylistic variety based on different philosophies for each wine and sourcing from three different vintages. We have already done an email in the two sensational Gran Reserva efforts, Sierra Cantabria Rioja Gran Reserva 2009 and the Egurens’ single vineyard estate El Puntido Rioja Gran Reserva 2007. The reviews are sensational, the styles distinctive, and we advise you to check this pair of classics out if you didn’t see that offer.

Since we almost never put more than two items in an email these days, we did not include this one in that offer. But the Sierra Cantabria Rioja Reserva Unica 2016 is another really impressive effort that certainly should not be overlooked. We just finished up the last bottle of the 2009, and it was smoking! This 2016 comes from a great vintage and is perhaps finer tuned and more seamless than that ’09 from a warmer vintage.

This series has been around since at least 2008 and, while it is done in the traditional manner (as you’ll see in Jeb Dunnuck’s notes below), this definitely sports a fresher, more modern bent to the fruit and comes off a bit more modern. Lots of dark cherry and red plum fruit with a subtle underpinning of earthy minerality and baking spice. Appealing and pretty user friendly out of the gate, as that 2009 demonstrated, it will age nicely if that is the call.

From Jeb Dunnuck, “The 2016 Reserva Unica comes from a single vineyard located in the alluvial soils beside the Ebro river. Made from 97% Tempranillo and 3% Graciano that was all destemmed and aged 24 months in 30% new French and America oak, this deep, concentrated 2016 packs some serious muscle in its blackcurrants, black cherry, licorice, toasted spice, and dried earth-like aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied, with a dense, concentrated mid-palate and ripe tannins, give bottles a few years in a cold cellar and enjoy over the following 10-15 years…94 points.”

A great choice at a modest $24.98, it’s a sensational value for a quality red.