2014 - CVNE Contino Vina del Olivo, Rioja

The olive tree vineyard produced a superb 2014 Viña del Olivo. This specific plot of vines was planted on chalk-rich soils in 1980 with clay instead of the more common alluvial stones found on the estate. The wine is a blend of 85% Tempranillo,10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. The grapes fermented in 10,000-liter oak vats with malolactic in new oak barrels (70% French, 20% American and 10% Hungarian), where the wine aged for 18 months with rackings every six months. This has a very modern profile with abundant, toasty notes and a lactic hint, notes of tar with very good ripeness. The palate also shows abundant, slightly grainy tannins and moderate acidity, plenty of cocoa and chocolate aromas. This feels very 1990s. I'd wait to see if the oak gets better integrated, but this will always be a generously oaked red for fans of the style. There is no 2013 or 2014 of Viña del Olivo. 10,000 bottles and 500 magnums.