Contino (Cvne) Rioja Vina del Olivo 2021 750ml

Name: Contino (Cvne) Rioja Vina del Olivo 2021 750ml
Brand: Contino (Cvne)
SKU: 969836
Price: 127.04 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 94.5 (4 reviews)

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SKU 969836

$127.04/bottle

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WA 96pts

DC 95pts

WS 94pts

JD 93pts

See professional reviews

The 2021 Viña del Olivo comes from one of the few non-alluvial plots on the property, as it has clay and limestone soils, a pure south exposure with vines planted in 1980 that produce deep wines with very good aging potential. It fermented in oak vats and matured in oak barrels for 14 months followed by another two months in oak vats. It’s 80% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo with 13.85% alcohol, a pH of 3.57 and 5.3 grams of acidity. It surprised me with its finesse and elegance, a big change. There’s no sensation of oak, and it’s fresh, profound and floral, with concentrated back berry fruit, a touch of bacon (but all very subtle), a vibrant palate (the Graciano and the year?) and very fine tannins. It’s still a baby but has gobsmacking balance and very fine tannins. I already liked the 2020, but this is one step above. Possibly the finest Olivo to date… 15,333 bottles and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in July 2023.

Country: Spain
Region: La Rioja
Appellation: Rioja

Size: 750ml
Color: Red
Alcohol by Vol: 13.7%

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More about this item

Winery

Contino (Cvne)

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Varietal

Tempranillo

There are plenty of notable native Spanish grapes which have made a big impression on the wine world at large, but none are as renowned or as widely loved as the Tempranillo varietal. This black skinned grape has been used for wine making for centuries, with several ancient civilizations noticing the fact that it is highly versatile and holds some delicious flavors and aromas, perfect for those looking for a powerful yet elegant grape for their wines. Tempranillo often causes winemakers some trouble, however, as it is highly susceptible to many diseases. Despite this, plenty continue to persevere with this varietal, as it is perfect for producing delicious and complex single variety and blended wines, packed full of classic Spanish flavors and plenty of aromatic and intense surprises.

Country

Spain

Ever since the Phoenicians and Romans brought their knowledge of vine cultivation to Spanish soils, the country's culture has grown alongside wine production, with wine being a vital part of Spanish identity and Spanish traditions. Each region of Spain has a wine quite distinct from the others, and it is produced by smallholders and families as much as it is by large companies and established wineries. From the relatively mild and lush regions of La Rioja to the arid plateaus that surround Madrid, grapes are grown in abundance for the now booming Spanish wine industry, and new laws and regulations have recently been put in place to keep the country's standards high. By combining traditional practices with modern technology, Spanish wineries are continuing to produce distinctive wines of great character, flavor and aroma, with the focus shifting in recent decades to quality over quantity.

Region

La Rioja

La Rioja is by far the most famous wine region of Spain, and remains one of the world's great wine producing regions, consistently offering deep, complex red wines of character and distinction, partly due to the fact that La Rioja benefits from excellent soils, rich in minerals and nutrients, and plenty of sunshine. The climatic conditions allow the fine grape varietals to reach full ripeness and express plenty of the best features of their terroir, making La Rioja wines some of the most interesting to have ever come out of Europe. The Cantabrian mountains to the north provide the perfect shelter from the colder, wetter influences of the Atlantic oceans, and in the beloved vineyards of La Rioja, wineries have been cultivating exceedingly flavorful Tempranillo grapes for generations for the inclusion in their fine single variety and blended wines.

Appellation

Rioja

Rioja, a renowned wine appellation in Spain, stands as an emblem of the country's winemaking heritage and innovation. What makes Rioja unique is its commitment to blending traditional and modern winemaking methods. Primarily crafted from Tempranillo, with Garnacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo as supporting players, Rioja wines showcase a remarkable balance of fruit, oak, and complex aging. Rioja's classification system, featuring Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva, delineates the aging periods, highlighting the region's dedication to quality. The use of American oak barrels imparts distinctive vanilla and coconut notes, contributing to Rioja's recognizable profile. The diverse terroir, from the high-altitude vineyards of Rioja Alta to the warmer Rioja Baja, adds depth and complexity to the wines. Exploring Rioja allows enthusiasts to savor the rich tapestry of Spanish winemaking, where historic bodegas coexist with modern practices, resulting in wines that seamlessly marry tradition and innovation, offering a glimpse into the soul of Spanish viticulture.

Ratings & Reviews

WA 96pts

Wine Advocate

The 2021 Viña del Olivo comes from one of the few non-alluvial plots on the property, as it has clay and limestone soils, a pure south exposure with vines planted in 1980 that produce deep wines with very good aging potential. It fermented in oak vats and matured in oak barrels for 14 months followed by another two months in oak vats. It's 80% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo with 13.85% alcohol, a pH of 3.57 and 5.3 grams of acidity. It surprised me with its finesse and elegance, a big change. There's no sensation of oak, and it's fresh, profound and floral, with concentrated back berry fruit, a touch of bacon (but all very subtle), a vibrant palate (the Graciano and the year?) and very fine tannins. It's still a baby but has gobsmacking balance and very fine tannins. I already liked the 2020, but this is one step above. Possibly the finest Olivo to date... 15,333 bottles and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in July 2023.

DC 95pts

Decanter

There's an unpretentious, straightforward and approachable allure to this wine with its rich tapenade, prune and cherry jam flavours topped by vibrant orange zest and savoury smoked bacon. This makes for a complex and delicious combination; mouthfilling, fleshy yet also incredibly vivid, lifted by the zestiness of the tannic grip. Fragrant finish with ethereal notes of violets and ripe plum.

WS 94pts

Wine Spectator

This rich red leads with aromatic notes of cured tobacco and ground coffee, revealing black cherry coulis, fresh, loamy earth, cocoa powder and star anise accents that expand on the silky palate. The tang of plum skin acidity keeps this lively and focused, while a swathe of chewy tannins firm the spiced finish. Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo. Drink now through 2039.

JD 93pts

Jeb Dunnuck

Named for the plot from which it comes, 2021 Vina del Olivo is still a majority Tempranillo, but has larger percentages of Graciano (23%) and Mazuelo (8%) than many of the other Contino wines and was, in fact, one of the first single-vineyard wines in the company, first made in 1995. It has a strong balsamic quality and high acidity, with spicy wood flavoring from the oak. The tannins are seamlessly interwoven through the medium-bodied palate of noteworthy structure to age another 12-15 years.

Winery Notes

Viña del Olivo aims to be the maximum expression of Contino’s terroir as it is one of the few calcareous clay estates in Contino (the others are primarily alluvial) with a very high content of active limestone, a 5 to 7% south-facing slope, dry land, no herbicides, and organic fertilisation. A mineral wine for ageing that expresses its modernity with harmony and balance. Our Contino Viña del Olivo is produced from the best bunches of grapes hand-harvested from our Olivo vineyard (a 700-year-old vineyard). The grapes are carefully harvested in crates and sorted meticulously upon arrival at the winery. Next, the grapes are fermented in 100-hectolitre French oak vats at a temperature of 28-30ºC for ten days, after a further ten days of maceration. The grapes then undergo malolactic fermentation for 15 days in new French oak barrels (85%) and American oak barrels (15%). Finally, the wine is then aged for 16 months before being transferred to wooden vats for three months.

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