CVNE, Contino Vina del Olivo, Rioja 2021

The 2021 Viña del Olivo comes from one of the few non-alluvial plots on the property, as it has clay and limestone soils, a pure south exposure with vines planted in 1980 that produce deep wines with very good aging potential. It fermented in oak vats and matured in oak barrels for 14 months followed by another two months in oak vats. It's 80% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo with 13.85% alcohol, a pH of 3.57 and 5.3 grams of acidity. It surprised me with its finesse and elegance, a big change. There's no sensation of oak, and it's fresh, profound and floral, with concentrated back berry fruit, a touch of bacon (but all very subtle), a vibrant palate (the Graciano and the year?) and very fine tannins. It's still a baby but has gobsmacking balance and very fine tannins. I already liked the 2020, but this is one step above. Possibly the finest Olivo to date... 15,333 bottles and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in July 2023.

Named for the plot from which it comes, 2021 Vina del Olivo is still a majority Tempranillo, but has larger percentages of Graciano (23%) and Mazuelo (8%) than many of the other Contino wines and was, in fact, one of the first single-vineyard wines in the company, first made in 1995. It has a strong balsamic quality and high acidity, with spicy wood flavoring from the oak. The tannins are seamlessly interwoven through the medium-bodied palate of noteworthy structure to age another 12-15 years.