Contino Gran Reserva 2008

Contino Gran Reserva 2008 is a full-bodied red wine from Rioja region of Spain. Viñedos Contino is widely considered one of the key producers of the Rioja wine revolution and has energetically championed the ‘château’ concept in the region whereby wines are made from a single estate. "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." Wine Advocate, 20014