A wine tour in the heart of Rioja
Benjamin Romeo: a talented oenologist and winemaker
The incredible story of theBodega Contadorbegins in 1995 whenBenjamin Romeo, oenologist and winegrower, acquired a centuries-old cave located beneath the castle of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, in theRiojaIn 1996,Benjamin RomeoHe saw his first harvest with the "La Cueva del Contador" cuvée, marking the beginning of his acquisition of vineyards to realize his winery project. Due to limited space, some of his must was vinified in his parents' garage in San Vicente. In 1999,Benjamin Romeoproduces the first vintage of its wineContador", unaware at the time of the exceptional success that awaited this vintage. For a few years later, the ultimate consecration arrived: the 2004 and 2005 vintages of the "Contador"received a perfect score of 100/100 from the famous criticRobert ParkerThis distinction, unprecedented in Spain, consolidates the international prestige of theBodega Contador House.
The Secrets of the Bodega Contador vineyard
A preserved terroir and a traditional culture
Nestled in the vicinity ofSan Vicente, in the Spanish region ofRiojaThe vineyard extends over 7 hectares of vines carefully protected from wind and rain by the surrounding mountains. Over time,Benjamin RomeoThe estate has expanded by carefully selecting the highest quality vines from terroirs that are each as magical as the next. This vineyard comprises 80 small plots, each benefiting from microclimates, varied orientations and altitudes, which allow for the production of wines of great complexity.
The majority of the vines are grown in the goblet style, a traditional pruning method typical of theRiojaThe winemakers choose to leave only one bud per shoot in order to restrict the yield and highlight the quality of the grapes.
The work in the vineyard is carried out according to agricultural methods.biological: no chemical products are used, on the contrary, the preparations used are made from homemade products, such as manure from sheep raised on the estate.
Benjamin Romeo's mastery of winemaking
Wines with a global reputation
In the vineyard and the winery, everything is done to preserve the quality of the grapes as much as possible. This begins with harvesting by hand into small crates. Each step of the winemaking process is carried out with meticulous care. First, the bunches and berries are selected after destemming.
Next, alcoholic fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in truncated conical French oak vats with a capacity of 10,000 liters. Then, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation.
The estate works exclusively with the ten most renowned cooperages in France, using the highest quality barrels from each of them.Benjamin Romeotravels to France in person to select the best oak trees.
The wines are then aged in barrels for 18 to 20 months. During this period, several rackings and top-ups are carried out weekly, carefully following the lunar cycles when moving the wine.
All the meticulous attention paid byBenjamin RomeoFrom vine to winemaking, this approach bears fruit, producing red wines of incomparable elegance. They perfectly reflect the typicity of thetempranillo, the emblematic grape variety of the region, and of theGrenacheAs for the whites, they are distinguished by their subtlety and elegance, offering exceptional mineral nuances.
This talented winemaker has gained worldwide renown for the precision of his magnificent vintages!
