2000 Contador
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Tasting notes
The absurdly priced, but magnificent 2000 Contador is an unfined/unfiltered, 100% old vine (60-80 years) Tempranillo cuvee made from frightfully tiny yields. The former winemaker at Artadi produced this limited quantity, prodigious wine. If you can get your hands on a bottle of this, you will have something bordering on perfection. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020. Importer: Jorge Ordonez, Fine Estates From Spain, Dedham, MA; tel. (781) 461-5767
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(from very low-yielding old tempranillo vines in high-elevation hillside sites; just five barrels were produced in 2000) Saturated ruby-red. Knockout nose combines wild raspberry, chicory, espresso, sandalwood and brown spices. Supple, sweet and lush on entry, then extremely intense in the middle, with an almost saline impression of extract. Firm acids give definition to the highly concentrated, chewy fruit. Builds impressively on the back half, finishing ripely tannic, oaky and very long. Seems a bit more accessible than the '99 was at a similar stage of its evolution. This is the no-expenses-spared project of the former winemaker at Bodegas Artadi.