Contino is a pathbreaking, historic wine. Even though it smells and tastes like the quintessential Rioja, when CVNE started the winery in 1973 it seemed revolutionary. Instead of blending the wine from different parts of... Read More

Contino is a pathbreaking, historic wine. Even though it smells and tastes like the quintessential Rioja, when CVNE started the winery in 1973 it seemed revolutionary. Instead of blending the wine from different parts of Rioja, CVNE decided to create a Bordeaux-style "Chateau" wine, one where all the vines grew around the winery. A Rioja to represent a specific terroir that they loved. That model caught fire and wineries all over Rioja began focusing on single terroir -- and even single-vineyard -- wines. What's amazing about tasting Contino's Reserva fifty years later isn't just that they've stayed true to that vision. Even as the wine is distinct and marked by a special fruit and aromatic profile, it's still Riojana to its very core.