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Contino Winery Guide

Cellar Tours Insight — Since 2003, Cellar Tours has planned private wine journeys through the world’s leading wine regions, pairing tailor-made itineraries with VIP winery visits, fine dining, and expert regional guidance.

Winery Overview

The beautiful Rioja Alavesa wine estate Contino has emerged as a benchmark for terroir-focused, sublime, structured Rioja, showcasing the tremendous depth and complexity the region can deliver. Unlike many of its neighbors, Contino has adhered to the principles of estate-grown, terroir-driven wines from the start, investing enormous effort in understanding its wonderfully diverse vineyards. Founded in 1973 by CVNE and the owners of Finca San Rafael, it pioneered the château concept in Rioja: rather than blending grapes sourced across the region, Contino produced its wines from vineyards surrounding the estate itself. Today, Jorge Navascués leads winemaking, working alongside Irene Bonilla in the vineyard.

The property’s history stretches much further back. Its ancient cellars date to the 16th century, while the vineyards encircle an old manor house on a remarkable meander of the Ebro at Laserna. The founding project was closely associated with José Madrazo and the original estate owners; his son Jesús Madrazo would later become one of the defining figures in modern Contino. After working within CVNE during the 1990s, Jesús was appointed technical director of Contino in 1999 and remained at the helm for 18 years, developing wines such as the 100% Graciano and the celebrated Viña del Olivo. In 2017, Jorge Navascués took over the estate’s technical direction.

Today, for wine critics and connoisseurs alike, Contino’s wines need little introduction. Their character begins in a remarkably varied 55-hectare vineyard divided into individual plots, with vines averaging 22 years of age and some exceeding 60. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Viña del Olivo, named for the extraordinary olive tree—nearly 700 years old—that stands among the vines. Yet the real magic of this parcel lies beneath the surface: calcareous-clay soils rich in active limestone, a gentle south-facing slope, and meticulous dry farming provide the raw material for one of Contino’s most ambitious wines.

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Author

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With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has written for a wide variety of publications, including The Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers Wine & Spirit, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.

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