The 2008 Reserva is a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% between Mazuelo and Garnacha, inox fermented and aged in used oak barrels of which 40% were made of American wood and the rest were French. 2008 was a challenging vintage and they didn’t produce many of the special wines that year, so the best fruit went towards the Reserva. It has a very lactic, sweet nose, with notes of orange rind and cherries. As Contino is a warm vineyard, the cold years make for quite balanced wines, and this 2008 has good acidity, not terribly complex, but clean with a slight herbaceous touch. Fine-grained tannins and acidity will make it age gracefully. 254,000 bottles produced. Drink 2015-2023. Contino is not a brand name from CVNE, it’s a completely separate winery and vineyard in Laserna in the municipality of Laguardia in Rioja Alvesa created as a joint-venture with the owners of a superb vineyard, house and old caves in a meander of the Ebro river in 1973. It is considered the first chateau style winery in Rioja. All their wines are produced with their own grapes sourced from the 63 hectares of vineyards within their San Rafael estate. The style is terroir-driven, classical-modern. In 2013 they suffered a terrible hail storm on September 6, so we’ll see little Contino from the 2013 vintage. They just started experimenting with white in 2006 and they have only sold a couple of vintages. The Vina del Olivo was not ready with the new vintage (2010) so I quickly tasted the 2009, which showed extremely fresh and Atlantic for a powerful vintage, a highly drinkable wine which is already reviewed and available on the database. Imported by Europvin USA, Van Nuys, CA; www.europvin.com

The 2007 Reserva has an alluring, ripe cassis-scented bouquet with well-integrated oak that soars from the glass and maintains superb clarity and vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with very smooth, silky tannins and just a touch of piquancy towards the intense finish, which still shows some puppy fat, but demonstrates great persistency. Drink now-2020+ CVNE was founded by the Real de Asua brothers in 1879 and has remained family-owned since that time. The historic bodega is located in Haro, and there are three companies under the umbrella: CVNE, Contino and Vina Real. These wines were tasted on two occasions in London, revisiting recent vintages plus older ones to compare. The Vino del Olivo is fermented in large oak vats and undergoes malolactic in new French barrels, where it is matured for 17 months. The Graciano is limited to around 6,000 bottles per vintage and is aged for 15 months in new oak (90% French and 10% Hungarian) and then 12 months in bottle. Importer: Christopher Cannan, Europvin; www.europvin.com

The 2006 Reserva is a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Garnacha raised in American and French oak for two years,. It has a very seductive bouquet with lush, but composed dark cherry, pomegranate and spice-tinged notes that are well-defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins and well-judged acidity, and a velvety-smooth finish of wild strawberry, cassis and citrus lemon. This is a very fine Reserva to drink until 2025, but I suspect the following vintage is better. Drink 2013-2020+ CVNE was founded by the Real de Asua brothers in 1879 and has remained family-owned since that time. The historic bodega is located in Haro, and there are three companies under the umbrella: CVNE, Contino and Vina Real. These wines were tasted on two occasions in London, revisiting recent vintages plus older ones to compare. The Vino del Olivo is fermented in large oak vats and undergoes malolactic in new French barrels, where it is matured for 17 months. The Graciano is limited to around 6,000 bottles per vintage and is aged for 15 months in new oak (90% French and 10% Hungarian) and then 12 months in bottle. Importer: Christopher Cannan, Europvin; www.europvin.com

The 2005 Contino Reserva is made up of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, and 5% Mazuelo and Garnacha aged for 2 years in a mix of new and seasoned French and American oak. Crimson-colored, it presents aromas of smoke, spice box, roses, leather, black cherry, and blackberry. Elegant on the palate in a slightly racy style, the fruit is balanced by lively acidity and the flavors are ripe and savory. This lengthy offering will continue to unwind for another 4-6 years and will deliver optimal drinking from 2015 to 2025. Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana (C.V.N.E.) is known colloquially to most Spanish wine drinkers as Cune. The company was founded in 1879 by the Real de Asua brothers and still remains in control of their direct descendants. In the 1920s ownership started Vina Real and in 2004 a new winery was built in Laguardia. In 1973 Contino was created to further the concept of the single estate winery and has since been one of the principal leaders in the resurrection of the nearly extinct Graciano grape. The Contino wines are made exclusively from the estate’s 253 acres located in Laserna near the town of Laguardia. The Reserva bottling is the mainstay of the Contino lineup produced from vines ranging in age from 25 to 60 years. The Contino Vina Del Olivo is the product of a dry farmed single vineyard of the same name planted in 1980. The blend is 90% Tempranillo with the balance Graciano and Carinena aged in new oak for 18 months. The Imperial label is affixed at C.V.N.E. only in the top vintages. Importer: Christopher Cannan, Europvin, www.europvin.com

The garnet-colored 2004 Contino Reserva is 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, and the balance Garnacha and Mazuelo aged for 24 months in French and American oak. Enticing aromas of damp earth, leather, tobacco, and assorted black fruits make up the nose of this traditionally styled Rioja. Firm on the palate, it has plenty of savory fruit, spice notes, and a touch of balsamic. Give it another 2-3 years of bottle aging and drink it from 2012 to 2024. C.V.N.E. stands for Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana (The Northern Spanish Wine Company) founded in 1879. It is better known as Cune. Importer: Pasternak Wine Imports; www.pasternakwine.com