This was the best, but alas my last, of my three bottles. The flavours from oak ageing are by now fully integrated resulting in perfect harmony of its full/medium body, round cherry tinged fruit, light spice, barely perceptible vanilla hints, velvety texture, fresh acidity and ripe but firm tannic structure on a lingering finish. Excellent.
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Contino 2001 still tasted quite young but very nice. Oak and vanilla still present with some acid but quite smooth and balanced with red fruits. A little four square.
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This wine has gained harmony and complexity since my previous bottle 3 years ago, mainly because the vanilla component from its oak ageing has integrated better and no longer obtrudes though there is still no doubt that the wine has seen new oak, including American. This allows full enjoyment of its full/medium body, round cherry tinged fruit, light spice, smooth texture, fresh acidity and ripe structure. Very good.
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Still deep ruby. Rich, blackberry and black cherry fruit. Plenty of spices, black tea, leather. Good acidity. Tannins smoothed but clearly present. Enjoyable.
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This bottle did not equal my memories of previous vintages but following on an outstanding Trévallon did it no favours. However a far from an indifferent wine with its full/medium body, round cherry tinged fruit, light spice, smooth texture and ripe structure but the vanilla component was excessive for my palate. Very good, though, and it may shine more in different company with a touch more age to further integration.
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Open, rich. A little liquorice. I didn't stop to think about this one very hard. Delicious. I drunk a lot of this in its youth. Had that balance of modern Rioja but clearly still Rioja and Tempranillo. I was more concerned about a bottle about 18 months back which was dumb. This has soared back. Now I only wonder if it will hold. The pleasure on the night was greater than the score.
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Superb wine with notes of herbs, sour cherry, balsamic, vanillin. Silky, elegant, vibrant and long. Rioja at its best. Great producer in a spectacular vintage.
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A private dinner (Restaurant Alinea Madrid, Madrid, Spain): Modern-style Rioja, ripe fruit, glossy, black cherries, good weight, subtle vanilla, hints of leather and lovage, liquorice, very energetic at 15 years of age, perfectly integrated oak (half French), finely grained tannins, well-balanced, very good length. Impressive.
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What a lovely wine. Soft, and elegant. Blackcurrant fruit core still holding up well, lots of complexity on top of that; leather, match stick, white pepper & Smoke. Some sweet fruit and vanilla and all spice. Wonderful texture, not silky but smooth and round. So wonderfully drinkable.
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Red rim, dark centre, very little sediment. Full, blackcurrant nose. Very smooth and elegant to taste. Velvety and mouth filling, with balancing acidity to finish. Oak sits smoothly in the background. Good.
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This had a superb nose. Really interesting and complex. Richer and more expressive than the Tondonia. Sweeter and more toasty. Espresso. Again that caramel biscuit note- just like the Tondonia. But this is a more flamboyant wine right now. Probably the most impressive of the flight. Seems more evolved than the others. A slight question of where this is going from here?
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Dark ruby red, full, fruit and oak nose. Smooth, but still young and with grip. Great length, mainly blackcurrant. Not yet fully blended, but delicious now.
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Dark garnet color. Popped from the cellar to taste and allowed to breath in the bottle. There is evident bottle age on the nose as some of the aromas are a bit baked. The wine has a medium mouthful of Rioja leather flavors with some cherries on the finish. I would recommend drinking extra inventory soon. EG WineArchitect
Pulled from wine locker in darkness; identified by feel and location as 1995 Corino Barolo Giachini, decanted out of sight. "Did you say Barolo?" "I said it, but maybe I lied. Where is that bottle?" OK, so it's 2001 Contino Rioja reserva. Impressive stuffing but ten years away. Some have reported it ready to drink. Well, not this bottle. Slams a door in your face when you've barely got your nose in. Needs time and plenty of it.
Our second bottle this summer and just as impressive as the first. Full of chocolate, violets, tabacco, with a light touch of oak and smooth round tannins.
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Wow this wine is drinking super now. Possibly the best bottle I've had all summer (except maybe the Beaucastel 2007). Dark purple with smells of flowers, blackberries, and creme brulee. Balanced with smooth round tannins. On the palate there is a flora note followed by blackberries, creme brulee, orange chocolate and a long finish with perfect balance. A serious mouthfeel that had everyone oohing and aahing over this bottle. Drank with pork fillet, Alsatian potatoes, and Italian Romano beans in tomato sauce. Perfect match. This wine at its peak now will hold for a few more years.
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This beautiful rioja had more than expected in common with a 2001 Silver Oak cab we also drank this weekend. Principally, you could taste the earth. The dustiness combined with deep (mellowed with age) cherry fruit and a dash of spice. Drinking it was something like picking up an old beloved book and sitting next to the fire.
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Nice looker, deep colour/ fullish body/ classy nose, spice dry fruit aromas, sweet hint of vanilla/ super smooth palate, intense deep cherry fruit, both long and fine, perfect balance/ top Rioja/ 13.5%/ 19.5/20/ drank with roast chicken(not pollo loco).
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Better than I remember it from the first few bottles, I think because there now seems to be a mineral edge to the finish, which partly balances the sweet oakiness. It's a well made wine, in a modern style, without any great sense of place. I am encouraged enough to keep a few bottles for the longer term, to see if it develops. g+
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Well made, well balanced wine with good length. Good fruit; ripe, smooth tanins; and good length. Even better 24 hours after opening. However, a bit boring in the end -- didn't have much character, no funk or real aromatic complexity. Seems clearly made with the "international" market in mind ("Single Vineyard" appearing in English on the primary label is another sign of that). Okay value at the price (£20).
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1/11/2022 - eboracum Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was the best, but alas my last, of my three bottles. The flavours from oak ageing are by now fully integrated resulting in perfect harmony of its full/medium body, round cherry tinged fruit, light spice, barely perceptible vanilla hints, velvety texture, fresh acidity and ripe but firm tannic structure on a lingering finish. Excellent.
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6/18/2021 - Corporateslaves Likes this wine: 90 Points
Contino 2001 still tasted quite young but very nice. Oak and vanilla still present with some acid but quite smooth and balanced with red fruits. A little four square.
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10/13/2020 - eboracum Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine has gained harmony and complexity since my previous bottle 3 years ago, mainly because the vanilla component from its oak ageing has integrated better and no longer obtrudes though there is still no doubt that the wine has seen new oak, including American. This allows full enjoyment of its full/medium body, round cherry tinged fruit, light spice, smooth texture, fresh acidity and ripe structure. Very good.
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3/9/2019 - cannym Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still deep ruby. Rich, blackberry and black cherry fruit. Plenty of spices, black tea, leather. Good acidity. Tannins smoothed but clearly present. Enjoyable.
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8/26/2017 - eboracum Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle did not equal my memories of previous vintages but following on an outstanding Trévallon did it no favours. However a far from an indifferent wine with its full/medium body, round cherry tinged fruit, light spice, smooth texture and ripe structure but the vanilla component was excessive for my palate. Very good, though, and it may shine more in different company with a touch more age to further integration.
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7/24/2017 - Cofxc wrote: 92 Points
Open, rich. A little liquorice. I didn't stop to think about this one very hard. Delicious. I drunk a lot of this in its youth. Had that balance of modern Rioja but clearly still Rioja and Tempranillo. I was more concerned about a bottle about 18 months back which was dumb. This has soared back. Now I only wonder if it will hold. The pleasure on the night was greater than the score.
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3/13/2016 - yayinski wrote: 94 Points
Superb wine with notes of herbs, sour cherry, balsamic, vanillin. Silky, elegant, vibrant and long. Rioja at its best. Great producer in a spectacular vintage.
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1/29/2016 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
A private dinner (Restaurant Alinea Madrid, Madrid, Spain): Modern-style Rioja, ripe fruit, glossy, black cherries, good weight, subtle vanilla, hints of leather and lovage, liquorice, very energetic at 15 years of age, perfectly integrated oak (half French), finely grained tannins, well-balanced, very good length. Impressive.
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12/25/2015 - rupertg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Translucent ruby red, pale pink rim. Full blackcurrant nose, delicate oaked fruit. Starting to dry out, but still lingering and complex finish.
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12/7/2015 - Crispin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fantastic jammy fruits. Rich tannins. Lovely long lasting Rioja.
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11/14/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Rich and full and with drive and energy. Modern sure, but not over the top as such.
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8/10/2015 - Ben85 Likes this wine:
What a lovely wine. Soft, and elegant. Blackcurrant fruit core still holding up well, lots of complexity on top of that; leather, match stick, white pepper & Smoke. Some sweet fruit and vanilla and all spice. Wonderful texture, not silky but smooth and round. So wonderfully drinkable.
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7/12/2013 - gharbour wrote: 91 Points
Good solid Rioja. Enjoyed with some NY strips to brake in the new grill.
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7/8/2013 - rupertg wrote: 90 Points
Red rim, dark centre, very little sediment. Full, blackcurrant nose. Very smooth and elegant to taste. Velvety and mouth filling, with balancing acidity to finish. Oak sits smoothly in the background. Good.
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3/26/2013 - RayOB wrote: 89 Points
Drank at Davy's
Nice with lots of forest floor and secondary notes. Very complex and medium length
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8/25/2012 - RayOB wrote: 87 Points
Drank at Davy's
Very different to the the other 2001 Rioja's I have had recently. Lots of oak but has a Burgundy feel to it. Nice but not what I expected.
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8/17/2012 - chbeaumont Likes this wine: 89 Points
Palish; correct nose, lacks verve; fully evolved, fleshy, integrated. Rather disappointing though difficult to keep (relatively) cool.
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7/12/2012 - rayq wrote:
This had a superb nose. Really interesting and complex. Richer and more expressive than the Tondonia. Sweeter and more toasty. Espresso. Again that caramel biscuit note- just like the Tondonia. But this is a more flamboyant wine right now. Probably the most impressive of the flight. Seems more evolved than the others.
A slight question of where this is going from here?
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3/11/2012 - rupertg wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby red, full, fruit and oak nose. Smooth, but still young and with grip. Great length, mainly blackcurrant. Not yet fully blended, but delicious now.
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11/8/2011 - EMichels wrote: 87 Points
Slightly tainted nose; Oxidation; Adds a brown sugar note to the nose as it sits in the glass; No real oxidation on the palate; Soft; Not a big finish
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3/22/2011 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark garnet color. Popped from the cellar to taste and allowed to breath in the bottle. There is evident bottle age on the nose as some of the aromas are a bit baked. The wine has a medium mouthful of Rioja leather flavors with some cherries on the finish. I would recommend drinking extra inventory soon. EG WineArchitect
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9/24/2010 - Vinomane wrote:
Pulled from wine locker in darkness; identified by feel and location as 1995 Corino Barolo Giachini, decanted out of sight. "Did you say Barolo?" "I said it, but maybe I lied. Where is that bottle?" OK, so it's 2001 Contino Rioja reserva. Impressive stuffing but ten years away. Some have reported it ready to drink. Well, not this bottle. Slams a door in your face when you've barely got your nose in. Needs time and plenty of it.
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9/15/2010 - gharbour wrote: 93 Points
Our second bottle this summer and just as impressive as the first. Full of chocolate, violets, tabacco, with a light touch of oak and smooth round tannins.
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9/6/2010 - gharbour Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow this wine is drinking super now. Possibly the best bottle I've had all summer (except maybe the Beaucastel 2007). Dark purple with smells of flowers, blackberries, and creme brulee. Balanced with smooth round tannins. On the palate there is a flora note followed by blackberries, creme brulee, orange chocolate and a long finish with perfect balance. A serious mouthfeel that had everyone oohing and aahing over this bottle. Drank with pork fillet, Alsatian potatoes, and Italian Romano beans in tomato sauce. Perfect match. This wine at its peak now will hold for a few more years.
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8/15/2010 - bragan wrote:
This beautiful rioja had more than expected in common with a 2001 Silver Oak cab we also drank this weekend. Principally, you could taste the earth. The dustiness combined with deep (mellowed with age) cherry fruit and a dash of spice. Drinking it was something like picking up an old beloved book and sitting next to the fire.
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8/2/2010 - Rick and Debra wrote:
Deep and rich.
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8/21/2008 - petec-s wrote: 95 Points
Nice looker, deep colour/ fullish body/ classy nose, spice dry fruit aromas, sweet hint of vanilla/ super smooth palate, intense deep cherry fruit, both long and fine, perfect balance/ top Rioja/ 13.5%/ 19.5/20/ drank with roast chicken(not pollo loco).
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3/10/2008 - Jeff W wrote:
Better than I remember it from the first few bottles, I think because there now seems to be a mineral edge to the finish, which partly balances the sweet oakiness. It's a well made wine, in a modern style, without any great sense of place. I am encouraged enough to keep a few bottles for the longer term, to see if it develops.
g+
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1/24/2008 - tendring wrote: 80 Points
Wine Education Service - Rioja (Imperial College): Meaty fruit aromas.
Fruity, reasonable balance, ready, not very special.
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11/11/2007 - ccn wrote: 89 Points
Well made, well balanced wine with good length. Good fruit; ripe, smooth tanins; and good length. Even better 24 hours after opening. However, a bit boring in the end -- didn't have much character, no funk or real aromatic complexity. Seems clearly made with the "international" market in mind ("Single Vineyard" appearing in English on the primary label is another sign of that). Okay value at the price (£20).
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