Our most beloved Rioja producer is BACK with a new vintage, fresh off the boat!

The iconic CVNE, their flagship project Viñedos del Contino, and its top-of-the-line Gran Reserva…

Let’s emphasize the word “GRAN” - as in GRAND - so make sure you don’t compare this wine to a plain ole Reserva. In Rioja, barrel age is everything, like a general with no room left on their chest for more medals, this Gran Reserva is coming on to 60 months of aging, with 24 of those in oak. That’s 5 years of maturity, resulting in a singular expression of a singular place, at its peak.

Wine Spectator raves “CVNE has refused to go to extremes, instead taking a measured approach to the struggle between tradition and innovation” having crowned them “#1 Wine of the Year” in 2013 for their “ability to balance past and future in such delicious harmony.”

Only a Rioja can deliver this value, and only Wine Spies can make it an extreme value. This is ALMOST an exclusive, only one listing online at $70 - seventy schmeventy - good luck finding this elsewhere at $45.

CVNE, or Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España is an institution. Die-hard Rioja fans know CVNE wines need time to evolve into their best version. And this Gran Reserva has oomph to shed yet it’s at an oh-so-IRRESISTIBLE place today. You can still put it away since winemaking here is as traditional as it gets, they age gracefully for many years.

Like this one. It’s in a happy place today, albeit with refined, satiny tannins that hint at great longevity to come. There are plenty of freshly picked wild berries and cherries in store, along with nuances of dates and dried apricots. Layers of spices and herbs add further complexity, as a towering finish lingers effortlessly over the minute mark. With a crown roast of lamb, this is your ticket to heaven and back.

Does that leave you feeling all wine-nerdy like we are? Check out “10 Things every wine lover should know about CVNE” here.

Hope you already checked out, all we got was this palletful!

95 Points – James Suckling

“Aromas of chocolate, smoked meat and berries. Really perfumed and subtle. The palate is full-bodied with ripe, creamy tannins that show tension and poise. Mellow and fine. So silky and brilliant. Complex. Polished. Drink now or hold.”

95 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

“The Contino vineyards escaped the frost from 2017, and the 2017 Gran Reserva, from a warm and dry year, is a blend of 82% Tempranillo, 5% Mazuelo, 10% Graciano and 3% Garnacha, the selection of the best grapes from different plots in the estate. This is 100% from the new team and from a vintage they consider very good for their property, different than the majority of Rioja. The idea is to follow the long aging in oak to continue with the tradition and keeping the freshness and controlling the power from the place. This is hedonistic and flattering, spicy after maturing in French barrique for 24 months. They harvested earlier than ever, in early September, and the wine reached 13.52% and has very good freshness with a pH of 3.47. It’s round and enjoyable, fresher than the last vintage I had tried. The challenge at Contino is to control the power of the very warm place and achieve freshness in the wines. They started some experimental microvinifications in 2021 to find the way. The original wines from the 1970s, produced with part of the winery, have aged very well, and the challenge is to overcome the exuberant style of more recent years. Drink 2022-2030.”