Rioja Predicador Blanco 2019 – Benjamin Romeo Bodega Contador

The grapes to produce the Rioja Predicador Blanco Benjamin Romeo Bodega Contador are gently pressed and macerated at freezing temperatures, then the must is fermented in stainless steel tanks, with natural yeast. The wine is aged in French oak barrels for 4 months before stabilization, filtered and bottled. Predicador Blanco is produced with garnacha blanca, viura and malvasia grapes from the vineyards located around San Vicente de la Sonsierra, coming from different plots of alluvial, clayey-calcareous and sandy soils. From humble beginnings making wine in his family garage and maturing his first wine Cueva de Contador in an ancient cave, Benjamin Romeo has quickly become one of Rioja’s most impressive winemakers. Despite only founding Bodega Contador in 1995, over the past couple of decades Romeo has achieved every winemaker’s ultimate dream not once but twice: his 2004 and 2005 Contador wines received perfect 100 point scores from legendary American wine critic Robert Parker. Thanks to these successes Romeo was able to further expand his operation and in 2008 he built a state-of-the-art winery designed by Hector Herrera in the charming village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Here he uses a thoroughly modern winemaking approach to craft elegant yet powerful Riojas which speak eloquently of the terroir. Romeo carefully vinifies the grapes from 62 individual vineyard sites separately and ages the young wines in new French oak for up to 20 months. Romeo’s flagship wine is the Contador which is crafted from the finest fruit of each vintage and aged in oak for 18-20 months.