2017 Contador

I also tasted the 2017 Contador, which was very different from the 2016. This is showy, expressive, open and aromatic and seems to jump right out of the glass with decayed flowers, ripe wild berries and herbs. It's lush and round, even though the alcohol level is very similar to the 2016. It has a decadent nose that I remember from some vintages around the turn of the century, aromas that made us all think of a Burgundian expression of Tempranillo that we didn't know was possible. It has firm tannins, not as refined as those from the 2016 vintage. While approachable now, I'd wait a bit more to pull the cork. Considering the challenges of the 2017 vintage, this is a real triumph over the adverse conditions. 6,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2019 after 20 months in new French oak barrels.