Contino

Overview

Contino is a single-estate Rioja bodega in Rioja Alavesa, best known for its top-of-range “Viña del Olivo” bottling — a single-vineyard wine named for the thousand-year-old olive tree at the center of the vineyard. The estate produces wines of notable refinement for Rioja, with the Viña del Olivo standing out for its understated oak despite being aged entirely in new French oak (85% French, 15% American). John Gilman scored the 2020 Viña del Olivo at 95+.

Appellations

• Rioja — Rioja Alavesa; single contiguous estate; chalky soils

Key Wines

• Viña del Olivo — single vineyard (~6 ha); ~1,000yo olive tree; 2020 cépages: 69% Tempranillo / 23% Graciano / 8% Mazuelo; fermented in open-top oak vats; malo in new oak barrels; 1 year barrel + 3 months foudre; 13.5% alcohol

Style Notes

The Viña del Olivo is Contino’s prestige cuvée: old vine, single-vineyard, modern Rioja. Despite 100% new oak élevage, the wood is “impressively understated” per Gilman. Red and black raspberries, cigar ash, chalky soil tones, Rioja spice; velvety attack; fine-grained tannins. Long-lived and demands cellaring.

Tasting Notes from VFTC #110

Wine	Vintage	Score	Drink Window
Rioja “Viña del Olivo”	2020	95+	2034–2085

My Tastings

(none yet)

Sources

• sources/articles/VFTC/VFTC March-April 2024 #110.txt — Spain/Portugal section; Rioja Tinto subsection