2019 - Benjamin Romeo Contador, Rioja

The 2019 Contador was produced with Tempranillo from seven vineyards—El Bombón, El Cerezo, Bardallo, El Bosque, Vizcarra, La Tejera and La Nava—in the villages of San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Ábalos. The grapes were picked between September 28 and October 9; it fermented destemmed in oak vats and matured in new French oak barrels for 20 months. It's a powerful wine at 15.13% alcohol and a pH of 3.61, with generous oak and a creamy twist, ripe, concentrated and with abundant, fine-grained tannins. It's medium to full-bodied with balance and a long, dry, chalky finish. It needs a little more time but should make a long-lived Contador. Benjamín Romeo thinks this could be reminiscent of 2005 and 2010. 4,000 bottles were filled in June 2021.