Winery - Contino
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Perfumed and polished, with tar and black-cherry aromas. Not often do you see varietal Graciano; usually it’s a component supporting Tempranillo. But here it offers boysenberry flavors and a linear structure. Sturdy, a bit tangy, and different. Imported by Pasternak Wine Imports.
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Contino Graciano - 2000
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
More approachable now, perhaps, than other ’97 crianzas, this Tempranillo, Mazuela and Graciano blend has a relatively soft, medium-bodied mouthfeel, with red plums front and center. Nose carries a stemmy-ashy note over the red fruit; finishes with a disappointing lactic-oak note. —D.M.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Although this wine has been favorably reviewed in the past, this vintage seems jammy and ponderous. The color is blinding and the bouquet reduced and jammy. The palate pours on monotonous boysenberry and blackberry, while the finish is granular. A specialty wine (only 250 cases made) that proves why Graciano is rarely made by itself.
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Contino Graciano - 2001
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Licorice and raisin are the primary aromas, giving this blend of Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano a maximum-ripeness sort of outward personality. And the palate follows suit, showing baked berry fruit that’s on the cusp of overripeness. Cassis, raisin and other sweet flavors finish it off. Drink now through 2009; it’s softer than it is structured.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Contino gives its single-vineyard Graciano all that it can, and still the wine, despite its deep purple color, is tight as a drum. There’s juniper and blueberry on the nose, and then tangy blackberry flavors with an herbal slant. As varietal Graciano goes, this is nicely done. But it’s up to you to decide if varietal Graciano is worth $147 a pop.
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Contino Graciano - 2005
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Varietal Graciano will never fit into the mold of “tried and true,” but this 2004 from top-level producer Contino shows the grape in its most positive light. The nose is natural, with hints of cola and ripe berries. The feel is brawny and intense, with semi-searing acids offset by ripe tannins. Finishes well, with a cleansing wave of red fruit and citrusy flavors. More of a novelty than anything, but a fine wine in and of itself.
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Contino Graciano - 2004
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Put this wine through its paces and see if you also find overdone oak and salty resin as well as tangy but bulky fruit, herbal hints and bouncy acidity. It gets better with airing, which leads us to believe that this wine’s best days are still ahead of it.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Lots of cherry, fresh-cut wood, charcoal and green herbs on the lively entry. A second act of snappy cherry fruit and citrus rind is zesty and might be a bit too much for some. But with food, Contino will be a fine, table-worthy companion. Imported by Pasternak Wine Imports.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
With density and purity, this is yet another fine Rioja from 2001. Contino is CUNE’s so-called “modern” label, and the wine delivers ripe plum and cherry, with oak-driven cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate playing supporting roles. A textbook 21st-century wine, with all the right parts in all the right places
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Very healthy and lively, and positively a traditional in style Rioja. Leather, caramel and chocolate aromas precede a dry, acid-packed palate of cherries and raspberries. The finish is tart at first, then opens into vanilla and spice. With its exciting flavor accents, this is like taking a trip back to a bygone winemaking era.
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