Contino (Viñedos del Contino)

Viñedos del Contino is a pioneering estate winery located in Laserna, in the municipality of Laguardia, in Rioja Alavesa, Spain. Founded in 1973 as a joint venture between CVNE and the Pérez Villota and Sánchez Pérez families, owners of Finca San Rafael, Contino became Rioja's first château-concept winery, modeled on Bordeaux's estate philosophy rather than the traditional Rioja practice of blending grapes from multiple dispersed sources. The initiative was driven by José Madrazo Real de Asúa, a CVNE director who had long sourced the site's fruit for Viña Real Gran Reserva and became convinced the terroir merited its own label. The 200-year-old manor house sits atop 16th-century cave cellars, one of the oldest such structures in the region. The name 'Contino' refers to the officer in charge of a hundred royal guards who protected the Catholic Monarchs 'de contino,' meaning continuously, a role whose history is embedded in the property since the 16th century. CVNE acquired majority control of Contino in 2013 when the Pérez Villota family exited the partnership.

• Established 1973 by CVNE and the Sánchez Pérez and Pérez Villota families as Rioja's first château-concept single-estate winery
• Located in Laserna, Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa; 62 hectares within an Ebro River meander; 16th-century cave cellars
• CVNE assumed majority ownership in 2013; all wines remain exclusively estate-grown from Finca San Rafael

Contino fundamentally challenged Rioja's winemaking tradition by demonstrating that a single estate could produce wines of world-class quality and longevity. When the inaugural 1974 Reserva appeared, Rioja's established houses blended fruit from multiple growers across the region; Contino's commitment to a single contiguous site was conceptually revolutionary. This approach was so far ahead of its time that it was not until 2017 that Rioja's regulatory framework legally permitted wines to be labelled by single village, subzone, or vineyard. Along with Remelluri, Contino is regarded as a pioneer of the château concept and the single-vineyard movement in Rioja, inspiring later generations of producers to invest in estate viticulture, terroir mapping, and precision winemaking. The 2001 Viña del Olivo, produced by Jesús Madrazo, was called by Rioja authority Gerry Dawes 'undoubtedly the greatest red wine I have tasted in the so-called modern era of Spanish winemaking,' cementing the estate's iconic status. Contino's influence extends from its benchmark wines to the structural changes it encouraged across an entire appellation.

• First Rioja estate winery (1973) to produce wines exclusively from a single terroir, presaging the single-vineyard classification by more than four decades
• 2001 Viña del Olivo cited by Rioja authority Gerry Dawes as a defining benchmark of modern Spanish winemaking
• Along with Remelluri, credited as co-pioneer of the château and single-vineyard concept that reshaped modern Rioja's identity

Contino's 62 hectares occupy a south-facing amphitheater within a meander of the Ebro River, sheltered to the north by Cerro de la Mesa (Table Hill), which moderates Atlantic airflow and concentrates warmth. The vineyard is distributed across three terraces that slope gently toward the river. Soils vary markedly: alluvial pebble and clay deposits dominate the lower terraces near the river, while calcareous clay-limestone with high active limestone content characterizes upper parcels. The Viña del Olivo plot is one of the few calcareous clay sites on the estate, with a 5 to 7 percent south-facing slope, dry-farmed, farmed with no herbicides, and organically fertilized. Vines in this parcel were planted in 1980 and surround an ancient olive tree after which the wine is named. Winemaker Jorge Navascués conducted a comprehensive soil study and parcel classification between 2017 and 2020, enabling the team to farm and vinify smaller land units separately and explore the distinct nuances of Tempranillo and Graciano across the estate. Viticulture is sustainable throughout; fruit is hand-harvested in 15-kilogram crates.

• Viña del Olivo parcel: calcareous clay-limestone with high active limestone; 5-7% south-facing slope; vines planted 1980; dry-farmed, no herbicides, organic fertilization
• Three terraces of south-facing vineyards sheltered by Cerro de la Mesa; soils range from alluvial pebble near the Ebro to calcareous clay-limestone on upper slopes
• Parcel-by-parcel soil study conducted 2017–2020 under Jorge Navascués; each micro-plot vinified separately to capture distinct terroir expression

Contino employs a combination of stainless steel tanks, concrete tanks, and French oak vats, loaded by gravity directly from a manual grape selection table. Fermentation for the Reserva uses native yeasts in small stainless steel and concrete tanks, enabling individual vinification of micro-parcels. The Reserva blend is typically around 85 percent Tempranillo with Graciano and Mazuelo, proportions varying by harvest; it is fermented in stainless steel or concrete and aged in French and American oak. The premium wines, including Viña del Olivo and Gran Reserva, are fermented in large French oak vats with malolactic fermentation taking place in new French oak barrels, followed by aging in a mix of French, American, and Hungarian oak. The Gran Reserva spends approximately three years in barrel before extended bottle age in the 16th-century cellars. Since 2017 Navascués has reduced new oak percentages and incorporated concrete vats for a portion of aging, aiming to emphasize terroir over wood. Contino achieved ZERYA certification, the first Spanish winery to do so, guaranteeing grapes free of pesticide residues.

• Reserva: native yeast fermentation in stainless steel and concrete tanks; barrel-aged in French and American oak; approximately 300,000 bottles annually
• Viña del Olivo and Gran Reserva: fermented in large French oak vats; malolactic in new French barrique; aged in French, American, and Hungarian oak
• Gran Reserva spends approximately three years in barrel plus extended bottle age in 16th-century cellars; released only in outstanding vintages (~30,000 bottles)
• First Spanish winery to achieve ZERYA certification for pesticide-residue-free grapes; new oak usage progressively reduced from 2017 under Jorge Navascués

Contino's portfolio is built around quality over volume, with release decisions tied to vintage merit. The Contino Reserva, approximately 300,000 bottles annually, is the flagship and bestseller, a blend of around 85 percent Tempranillo with Graciano and Mazuelo from micro-parcel selections across the estate's diverse soil types. Viña del Olivo, first produced in the 1995 vintage, comes from a single calcareous clay-limestone parcel surrounding an ancient olive tree; it is made only in fine vintages and typically produced in around 15,000 bottles. The Gran Reserva, first made in the 1996 vintage, draws partly from the Olivo plot and approximately 30,000 bottles are made in outstanding years. Contino pioneered the single-varietal Graciano in Rioja with the 1994 vintage. The range also includes a single-varietal Garnacha, a single-varietal Mazuelo called Don Vicente, an oak-aged rosé from Graciano, Garnacha, and Mazuelo, and a white wine of Viura with around 10 to 15 percent Garnacha Blanca, made partly from vines planted more than 80 years ago.

• Contino Reserva (flagship): approximately 85% Tempranillo with Graciano and Mazuelo; micro-parcel selection; approximately 300,000 bottles per year
• Viña del Olivo: first made 1995; calcareous clay-limestone plot; approximately 15,000 bottles in fine vintages only; benchmark expression of Contino terroir
• Gran Reserva: first made 1996; approximately 30,000 bottles in outstanding vintages only; approximately three years in barrel plus extended bottle age
• Single-varietal Graciano (pioneered 1994 vintage in Rioja); Garnacha; Don Vicente Mazuelo; oak-aged rosé; Blanco of Viura with Garnacha Blanca from vines over 80 years old

Contino has built sustained international critical recognition since the mid-1970s. The 2018 Viña del Olivo received 95 points from Wine Advocate, and the 2021 vintage earned 96+ points from Wine Advocate's Luis Gutiérrez and 99 points from Tim Atkin MW, making it among the highest-rated Riojas in recent memory. The 2016 Viña del Olivo was awarded 18 out of 20 by Jancis Robinson. The 2001 Viña del Olivo remains a landmark, called by Rioja authority Gerry Dawes one of the greatest red wines of the modern era of Spanish winemaking. Among recent Reserva vintages, 2018 is noted for freshness and elegance, while 2019 shows greater depth and power. The Contino Reserva retails around 30 euros in Spain, making it an accessible entry point to a benchmark estate. Viña del Olivo commands approximately 80 to 150 euros depending on market, reflecting its critically acclaimed scarcity. Contino's wine library, stored in an underground cellar dating to the 18th century, holds back vintages to the very first 1974 harvest.

• 2021 Viña del Olivo: 96+ points Wine Advocate (Luis Gutiérrez), 99 points Tim Atkin MW; 2018 Viña del Olivo: 95 points Wine Advocate
• 2016 Viña del Olivo: 18/20 Jancis Robinson; 2001 Viña del Olivo cited by Gerry Dawes as a defining benchmark of modern Spanish winemaking
• Contino Reserva approximately 300,000 bottles annually at accessible pricing; Viña del Olivo high demand and allocation-only in key markets