The producer
Among a lot of top wineries with history going back over a century, Contador appeared only at the turn of this century. They came a long way quickly helped by the winemaker Benjamin Romeo who spent 15 years at Artadi before releasing the first Contador in 1999 and garnering international attention with wines that scored perfect points in the early 2000s.
In 2008 a striking new gravity-flow winery was built surrounded by the various vineyard plots owned by the estate and production expanded with a small range of exceptional wines, both white and red. These are powerful expressions of Rioja whether it is the simple A Mi Minera (“My Way”) or the profound oak-aged white Que Bonito Cacareaba.
The pinnacle of this production is simply labelled “Contador” 100% Tempranillo from surrounding vineyards aged for 20 months on new French oak.
The wine
Contador is Bodega Contador’s flagship wine, made from fruit sourced from several prime single vineyard plots in San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Fermentation is in oak vats, followed by 20 months maturation in new French oak barrels. Immense complexity with purple fruit concentration, spices, sandalwood, and cured meats, the palate is dense and intense with firm structure and finish. Only 6,500 bottles are produced per year.
