This 943 release from the Contino series marks my second vintage blending alongside the fastidious and passionate winemaker Jorge Navascués. This exclusive 2023 is the tenth vintage The Society has offered in the series since its debut as 930 in 2010.
It was another warm and dry year, though Contino's vineyard in Laserna, Rioja Alavesa, benefited from being a particularly early-ripening site, allowing the fruit to be harvested before the second heatwave arrived in September. As a result, the balance between ripeness and acidity is excellent and Jorge quotes it as ‘a vintage to be proud of’ given the challenges.
Order by midday Friday 11th September
The fruit comes predominantly from Contino’s San Gregorio estate, with 15% sourced from the prized Contino del Olivo single vineyard, and the blend is mostly tempranillo with small proportions of graciano and mazuelo, aged in a mixture of mostly French and a little American oak for 18 months.
