Bodega Contador - Rioja Alma 2020

[...] It is a fragrant, floral wine with notes of aromatic herbs; it’s slightly balsamic and quite bold, with very fine tannins and a refreshing quality, as it was made with more grapes from high-altitude areas. It is powerful and elegant, and in a way, it reminds me of the style of La Cueva de Contador’s early vintages; it is crisp and elegant. It has an alcohol content of 14.5% and a pH of 3.55. It is very young but already drinkable, thanks to the excellent quality of its tannins. I think this is the wine I would buy from their portfolio if I could only buy one. It transported me back to the wines of the early 2000s. 2022–2032

A new project from Contador, which, according to Benjamin Romeo, has adopted a Bordeaux-style approach by blending grapes from vineyards located at three different altitudes. The blend consists primarily of Tempranillo and a small amount of Garnacha. Immediately after being poured, the wine still exhibits a certain softness from the oak, but this fades and evolves into notes of incense and sandalwood as it sits in the glass. This is followed by aromas of concentrated blueberry, balsamic purple fruits, hot stones, lavender, and iodine. On the palate, the wine displays a high degree of ripeness and concentration, with purple and blue fruits that convey a sense of darkness, almost like fruit pulp. But the fresh acidity keeps things in check, offering a lovely contrast to the weight and extraction. Long, dense, and tight, yet silky. Still in its infancy at this stage, but full of potential. Slightly powerful on the finish. Will be released in 2023. Best enjoyed starting in 2025.