The Contino vineyards escaped the frost from 2017, and the 2017 Gran Reserva, from a warm and dry year, is a blend of 82% Tempranillo, 5% Mazuelo, 10% Graciano and 3% Garnacha, the selection of the best grapes from different plots in the estate. This is 100% from the new team and from a vintage they consider very good for their property, different than the majority of Rioja. The idea is to follow the long aging in oak to continue with the tradition and keeping the freshness and controlling the power from the place. This is hedonistic and flattering, spicy after maturing in French barrique for 24 months. They harvested earlier than ever, in early September, and the wine reached 13.52% and has very good freshness with a pH of 3.47. It's round and enjoyable, fresher than the last vintage I had tried. 29,483 bottles and 1,000 magnums produced. It was bottled in June 2020.

The more classical 2014 Gran Reserva was produced with a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, 10% Mazuelo and 5% Garnacha from a super selection of the grapes used for the Reserva. It fermented destemmed in concrete with indigenous yeasts and matured in 225-liter oak barrels, 70% of them French, the rest American, for 24 months. This shows abundant notes of spices, toast and smoke, dark chocolate and espresso coffee and ripe berries. It's still showing the impact of the élevage, but it will probably absorb it with time in bottle. The palate is powerful and reveals abundant tannins. 30,875 bottles and 650 magnums. It was bottled in July 2017.

The oldest of the current releases, the 2012 Gran Reserva is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, 12% Garnacha and 3% white Viura, a classical combination, with 13.65% alcohol, remarkable acidity and moderate pH. The grapes were selected from some of the oldest plots, and they were destemmed and fermented in concrete vats followed by malolactic in barrique and an élevage of almost three years in used French and American oak barrels. It has a classical nose with developed aromas, hints of earth, soy sauce, camphor, pencil lead and graphite. It's ripe without excess, and the fruit is black rather than red. The palate reveals good freshness and some tannins that need a little polishing in bottle. It evolves nicely in the glass, and I think it should develop nicely in bottle. 3,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2015.

The 2011 Gran Reserva is bottled in magnum, blended from 70% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, 12% Garnacha and 3% Viura. The élevage was extended to three years in used oak barrels followed by a further three years in bottle. It feels quite ripe and a little heady, generously oaked. It's a very dry year, and the wine doesn't have the freshness of the 2010. It seems like the nature of the vintage and the warmish location have resulted in a very ripe year. There is more freshness on the palate, where there are tannins that might need more time in bottle and even some edgy acidity. 3,261 magnums and some larger formats and normal bottles were filled in April 2014. The price given is for a 750-milliliter bottle.

Bottled only in magnum (and larger sizes), the 2010 Gran Reserva is produced with grapes from their oldest vineyards as a classic blend of Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, 12% Garnacha and a pinch of Viura; the grapes were fermented in cement vats with malolactic in barrel and the wine underwent an élevage in used French (60%) and American oak barrels for three years, followed by another three years in bottle. It has a very spicy nose with tantalizing aromas reminiscent of curry and some red and black fruit, very clean and precise. It develops some faint lactic notes spiced up with cinnamon. The palate is focused and polished, with great balance (14.4% alcohol and a 3.3 pH), great acidity and volume. This is the best of the wines I tasted from Contino in this sitting. 3,261 magnums.