The 2008 Carmen Gran Reserva has a classic nose with notes of American oak, some herbaceous character (I mean it in a positive, fresh way) in the shape of some spearmint. It displays an array of notes of tobacco, cured meats, leather, balsamic herbs and a hint of chalk. The medium-bodied palate reveals a powerful Gran Reserva, with intense flavors, great acidity and length. This wine is very different in style to the rest of Benjamin's wines, following the patterns of the classical Riojas of yesteryear. Bravo! Drink 2014-2020. 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

The 2008 Gran Reserva spent 42 months aging in used barrels in the cellars underneath the church in San Vicente. A blend of 92% Tempranillo, 1% Viura and 7% Garnacha, it has a pure mulberry, dark plum and blood orange-scented bouquet with fine delineation. The palate is very well-balanced on the entry, with fine tannins and a lovely mulberry, fish scale-tinged finish. It is a glorious Gran Reserva that should age well over the next decade and beyond. Drink 2013-2025. One of the most memorable days in Rioja was spending an afternoon in the company of the inimitable Benjamin Romeo, the tour de force behind Bodega Contador. We flitted from one patch of twisted ancient vines to another, mainly around the medieval village of San Vincente, Romeo again and again propounding his mantra that terroir creates great wine. This involved one perilous drive through vegetation as thick as the Amazon until the 4x4 exited into a parcel of century-old, gnarly Tempranillo vines (upon which he mentioned that they were far more accessible on foot). Since leaving Artadi in 2000, he has gradually acquired around 80 parcels of old vine material, vinifying the fruit in a simple, modern, efficient winery, inaugurated in 2007, a facility that places functionality over aesthetic charms. Benjamin himself comes across as an intense, passionate, uncompromising winemaker, a little distant and apprehensive at first, but warming to someone who is patently interested in terroir. Bodega Contador is certainly a slick operation, fastidious down to the last detail, resulting in a set of sumptuous, silky smooth, curvaceous Rioja wines that are seductive, yet deserve considerable cellaring. Moving on to the 2010s, readers should note that these were bottled a week prior to my tasting them. Although Romeo’s name is synonymous with “modern” Rioja, he told me that he wished to make a classical wine for his mother, whom he described as a “classical woman” and fancied a “change of scene.” Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565