Tasting Notes – Reserva Rioja 15 , Contino, Rioja Alavesa, Spain

Wine: The 2015 Reserva is a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 3% Garnacha.and 2% Mazuelo

Aromas: cherries, strawberrys, blueberrys, oak, cocoa, mocha

Flavors: oak, vanilla, plum, red berry;

Body: Medium +

Alcohol: 14.5%

Acid: Medium +

Sweetness: Dry

Tannins: Medium +

Balance: very well balanced

Serving Tips: Decant – 60 minutes +,

Temperature: 60º to 65º F

Food Pairings: roast lamb, lamb cutlets, pork, roast game birds, hamburgers, BBQ meats

Winery Notes: The Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (CVNE) is a family winery which was founded in 1879. The name “contino” was the officer in charge of a guard corps of a hundred soldiers who protected the royal family “de contino” from the times of the Catholic Monarchs. The wine produced in the winery is fruity and elegant and produced in the best Rioja tradition. Grapes used to produce the wines come from the vineyards that surround the old manor house. The combination of the soils and the Atlantic-Mediterranean climate have made the wine produced here a standard of Riojas from Spain.