2011 Benjamin Romeo, Contador, Rioja

The 2011 Contador is a compact, tight-knit wine, serious and backward that needs plenty of air. It's still a baby showing the typical aromas that only the very best barrels can give and that you only find in a very few top wines (and I'm thinking of Pingus here). However, the personality is quite different, akin to a young Nuits-St-Georges, with very fine tannins and subtle acidity. I feel the wine needs a couple of years in the bottle. Drink 2016-2022. The big news this year is that Benjamin Romeo, who is one of the iconic producers of modern Rioja, is bottling a Gran Reserva, a tribute to his mother Carmen, a perfect example of the convergence of the modern and traditional styles to produce great Rioja. Imported by Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565; www.europeancellars.com