The 1974 Reserva contained no Graciano and has a lovely, faded, lacy bouquet with touches of singed leather, wild mushroom, undergrowth and Provencal herbs, almost like an old Tuscan wine. The palate is medium-bodied with a soft fleshy texture and only a hint of dryness after 38 years. It is a complex wine with touches of dried herbs, saddle leather and cloves on the elegant finish. Nowadays, Contino’s Reserva is a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano plus 5% Mazuelo and Garnacha, aged for 24 months in second and third fill barrels of which 60% are French. CVNE was founded by the Real de Asua brothers in 1879 and has remained family-owned since that time. The historic bodega is located in Haro, and there are three companies under the umbrella: CVNE, Contino and Vina Real. These wines were tasted on two occasions in London, revisiting recent vintages plus older ones to compare. The Vino del Olivo is fermented in large oak vats and undergoes malolactic in new French barrels, where it is matured for 17 months. The Graciano is limited to around 6,000 bottles per vintage and is aged for 15 months in new oak (90% French and 10% Hungarian) and then 12 months in bottle. Importer: Christopher Cannan, Europvin; www.europvin.com