Rioja Contino Gran Reserva, Compañia Vinicola del Norte de España (CVNE) 2010

This is very Asian with black tea, mushroom and bark aromas, and ripe fruit undertones. Full body, round and polished. Edgy structure with blackberry, mushroom skin and cedar. Fantastic finish. Just a baby. Stock up for the cellar. Better in 2020 but already excellent.

Bottled only in magnum (and larger sizes), the 2010 Gran Reserva is produced with grapes from their oldest vineyards as a classic blend of Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, 12% Garnacha and a pinch of Viura; the grapes were fermented in cement vats with malolactic in barrel and the wine underwent an élevage in used French (60%) and American oak barrels for three years, followed by another three years in bottle. It has a very spicy nose with tantalizing aromas reminiscent of curry and some red and black fruit, very clean and precise. It develops some faint lactic notes spiced up with cinnamon. The palate is focused and polished, with great balance (14.4% alcohol and a 3.3 pH), great acidity and volume. This is the best of the wines I tasted from Contino in this sitting. 3,261 magnums.