A while back, we began our unprecedented series on Contino. This is the estate that, in 1973, pioneered single-vineyard winemaking in contemporary Rioja, anticipating by more than 25 years today's trend towards terroir-based winemaking in this ancient region.

Our initial Contino offer featured the estate's founding cuvée, Contino Reserva, followed by individual features on Contino Blanco and Contino Graciano.

Next up was Contino’s most revered wine, its grand cru Viña del Olivo. From its first vintage in 1996, Viña del Olivo promised greatness. And within five vintages, Gerry Dawes was calling the 2001 Olivo “undoubtedly the greatest red wine I have tasted in the so-called modern era of Spanish winemaking.”

[For those who weren't into Spanish wine in the 1990s and early 2000s, Dawes was the first high-profile American wine writer to focus exclusively on Spain. Writing for Steve Tanzer, Gerry knew his stuff.]

The extraordinary quality of Viña del Olivo, then and now, is based on its extraordinary terroir: a tiny plot within the Contino vineyard that's littered with limestone rocks. The wine takes its name from a 1000-year-old olive tree in the heart of the vineyard. The wine is 90% Tempranillo, fermented in large wood vats, and aged in small barrels for up to 18 months.

Never heard of Viña del Olivo? That's easy. Despite being a top collectible in Spain, the wine has rarely found its way to the United States. But thanks to our longstanding relationship with Contino's owner, CUNE, we've secured direct allocations of Viña del Olivo in the transcendent 2016 and 2017 vintages.

Don't miss this opportunity to buy Contino's crown jewel as a two-vintage assortment at a great price.