Contino Viña del Olivo 2017

Super young and just bottled, the 2017 Viña del Olivo is the flagship single-vineyard bottling from a plot planted in 1980 on a combination of limestone and clay, which is rare on the property where the majority of soils are alluvial; the estate is in a big meander of the Ebro River. This was the first vineyard they harvested on the 6th of September, and the blend is Tempranillo with 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuela. It had a soft, long fermentation in small oak vats, and the élevage was 16 months in barrique and a further three months in oak vats. It follows the style of the 2016 and is leaner and a little more austere, with an electric palate and good acidity. There is no room for sweetness here, and the wine is savory. It's very young and shows very good finesse. They produced 15,000 liters of this and filled around 20,000 bottles in April 2019.

This is a very strong and muscular red with very toned tannins that frame the blue fruit and wet earth. Subtle and cool. Structured and chewy. Shows power. Needs three to four years to soften. Try after 2021.