Community Tasting Note

rayq wrote:

Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - Contino Dinner with Jesús Madrazo (The Ledbury): Tempranillo 90% Graciano10%
This wine is fermented in large French oak vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in new French oak barrels and the wine is subsequently aged in French, American and Hungarian oak casks. So yes it sees a fair bit of wood! While the Gran reservas may be made to recall the Rioja of old this is undoubtedly modern. Ripe upfront fruit from a single vineyard around a 1000 year old oak tree that gives the wine its name (and a seperate plot of Graciano) and toasty oak flavours dominate. This is full rich and sexy.
In the mouth it has a velvet texture and while there is a touch of heat it is balanced because there is lovely ripe fruit. Traditionalists will not like it but for me this is good modern Spanish wine that has the stuffing to age and it will be very interesting to see what this is like in another decade or more.
All the 05’s were excellent it seems to be a very successful year for Contino.

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