2009 Rioja Gran Reserva

Contino only bottles its Gran Reserva in magnum, so I tasted the 2009 Contino Gran Reserva in that format. It's a blend of Tempranillo and 10% each Garnacha and Graciano fermented in cement vats and matured in a mixture of used French (60%) and American barrels for at least two years. A good, modern classical Gran Reserva from what seems to be a very ripe vintage. It is showing some evolution with plenty of earthy notes and some lactic reduction, a bit cheesy, so give it time in the glass or the decanter! The flavors offer ripe fruit, black rather than red, plus spices and leather. Then on the palate it has good freshness, it's medium-bodied with fine tannins ending supple, almost salty. 2,749 magnums produced. The price given is for a magnum, and it's a wine designed to be aged in bottle, but this will not be the longest-lived vintage.