Viñedos del Contino & Guillaume Thienpont, Chorus, 2024
Viñedos del Contino & Guillaume Thienpont, Chorus, 2024
- 75cl
- 14%
- Red Still
- Tempranillo
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Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2035
Chorus is something rather exciting: a meeting of two worlds, with Contino's old Rioja Alavesa vineyards as the stage and Guillaume Thienpont (the man behind Vieux Château Certan) lending his Bordeaux-trained eye to the blend. Contino has long been one of Rioja's most compelling single-estate producers, working from a 62-hectare finca on the Ebro that gives them a rare level of control from vine to bottle.
The result here is a wine that thinks like Rioja but carries itself with unusual composure; structured, precise, with the kind of inner tension that makes you reach for the glass again.
It's Tempranillo-led with Graciano and Mazuelo in support, and the Thienpont influence shows in the seamlessness of the oak integration and the careful attention to aromatic lift. At two years old it's already open and generous, but there's real architecture here too.
In 2026, Chorus is in its primary phase: fresh, fruit-forward, and immediately appealing. By 2028-2029, we would expect the oak integration to settle further and the dried-herb, spice, and earthy complexity to emerge more prominently as the fruit begins to knit with the structure. The window between 2029 and 2032 is likely the sweet spot, when the wine will have lost none of its freshness but gained considerably in depth and detail.
What the critics say:
"A wine of considerable grace and charm. There’s a subtle and delicate warm spice – cinnamon, a scratch of nutmeg – and dark plums, damsons, mulberries and bramble. Indeed, this is a wine composed of shades of dark red. It’s amply framed, but not excessively so and that gives this a sense of shape and calmness. It feels very natural and undemonstrative. It’s also very crystalline in texture for pure Tempranillo with a luminous mid-palate that helps one focus in on those delightful cedar and graphite notes. A wine that exudes harmony, this is deep and dark at its spherical core, with a lovely grip and pinch just before the lifted finish. Rioja with a Bordeaux sensibility."
"The 2024 Chorus (100% Tempranillo) marks the estate’s first wine of its kind, crafted under the direction of Guillaume Thienpont (Château Le Pin). Twelve months in French oak, 50% new, shaped its élevage. Fresh plum, delicate florals and pomegranate lead the nose, with a refined smoky nuance. On the palate, it is dry, plush and ample, moving with enveloping flow and layered red fruit intensity. Finely integrated oak and the precision of the 2024 vintage lend extra definition to the fruit profile. A modernized interpretation."
"The nose reveals dark fruits, crunchy blackberries and violets. The palate is well knitted, medium- to full-bodied with polished, velvety tannins that focus toward the finish. Fresh dark fruit is very well delineated throughout. The wine is cohesive, as well as a polished expression of the Contino vineyard. It is already drinkable but will certainly age gracefully. It has vivacity and elegance, along with a clear sense of structure and a long, persistent trail of fruit on the finish. This is a collaboration between Contino and Vieux Château Certan’s Guillaume Thienpont from Pomerol. It is pure tempranillo chosen from three different parcels within the Contino vineyard. Drink or hold."
Tasting Notes
AppearanceDeep ruby with a vibrant, youthful rim and good clarity.
NoseDark cherry and dried red fruit open things up, then come earth, leather, and a suggestion of dried herbs — Rioja's signature garrigue character sitting alongside something a touch more polished and Bordelais. The oak is present but well-folded in, not announcing itself.
PalateMedium-full bodied with real presence — the tannins are firm but refined, and there's a bright acidity that keeps everything moving. Red cherry, tobacco leaf, and a mineral, chalky quality on the mid-palate that gives the wine its backbone. The Graciano adds a lifted floral note and a dash of pepper.
FinishLong and savoury, with iron-edged persistence and lingering dried herb.
Overall impressionA Rioja that knows exactly where it comes from and is quietly confident about where it's going.
Food Pairings
In Rioja Alavesa, a wine like this would find its natural home alongside slow-roasted lamb — cordero asado — where the fat and sweetness of the meat meet the wine's tannic grip head on. Chuletillas al sarmiento, tiny lamb chops grilled over vine cuttings, are a local ritual worth the pilgrimage. Pungent aged Manchego or Idiazábal cheese also work beautifully with the earthy, mineral core. In the pintxos bars of nearby Vitoria, you'd find it poured freely alongside jamón and anchovy-topped bread — unpretentious and entirely right.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at around 17°C — too warm and the alcohol dominates, too cool and the tannins close up. A 30-minute decant will open the aromatics and soften the structure enough to show the wine at its best right now. A large-bowled red wine glass works well, giving the earthy, herbal notes room to develop as the wine breathes in the glass.
The Contino finca sits on a bend of the Ebro river in Rioja Alavesa, at around 450 metres altitude, enjoying a continental climate tempered by Atlantic influence from the Cantabrian mountains to the north. Soils are a mix of chalky clay and alluvial deposits, which give the wines their characteristic combination of freshness and structure. The single-estate discipline means every bottle reflects this specific patch of ground rather than a blended composite of the wider region.
Rioja Alavesa is the most northerly and arguably most elegant of Rioja's three sub-zones, producing wines that tend towards finesse and aromatic precision rather than the fuller, more opulent style of Rioja Alta or the broad fruit of Rioja Baja. The DO Calificada Rioja is Spain's first and only DOCa, its elevated status reflecting the region's historic importance. Rules require minimum ageing periods for Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva classifications, though single-estate and single-vineyard designations have become increasingly important markers of quality.
Mother Nature threw a proper curveball at Rioja in 2024, serving up one of those seasons that keeps winemakers on their toes. Spring arrived with promising conditions, but summer brought intense heat that tested even the most experienced producers. The saving grace came with well-timed autumn rains that allowed grapes to regain their composure before harvest, though timing became everything as producers raced to pick before the weather turned again.
What emerged from this meteorological drama are wines with real personality – concentrated and structured, showing the kind of backbone that suggests they'll reward patience. Tempranillo responded particularly well to the challenging conditions, developing thick skins that translate to wines with serious grip and colour. These aren't the immediately charming, crowd-pleasing wines of easier years, but rather bottles that demand attention and conversation. Most will benefit from cellaring until 2027 or beyond, though we suspect the best examples will age gracefully for a decade or more.
FAQs
What does Chorus taste like?
Dark cherry and dried herbs on the nose, with earth, leather, and a mineral backbone. The palate is firm and structured with bright acidity — it's a Rioja with real precision, shaped in part by Guillaume Thienpont's Bordeaux sensibility. Savoury rather than sweet, and built to hold your attention.
When is the best time to drink this?
It's drinking well now — open, structured, and already showing real character. We'd say the sweet spot runs from 2027 until around 2035, when the fruit and secondary complexity will be in harmony. You have until 2038 to enjoy it at its best.
Who is Guillaume Thienpont and why does he matter here?
Guillaume Thienpont runs Vieux Château Certan in Pomerol, one of Bordeaux's most precise and distinguished estates. His involvement in Chorus is a genuine creative collaboration rather than a marketing exercise — his influence shows in the seamlessness of the oak handling and the structural finesse that sets this wine apart from much of Rioja.
What food should I serve with this?
Slow-roasted lamb is the classic match — the wine's tannins and earthy character are made for it. Aged Manchego or Idiazábal cheese works well too. If you want something simpler, good jamón and bread is exactly what they'd drink alongside it in Rioja Alavesa.
Should I decant it?
Yes, 30 minutes in a decanter will open the aromatics and take the edge off the tannins. It's not the sort of wine that needs hours, but it will reward a little patience before pouring.
Is Contino a reliable producer?
Absolutely. Contino has been one of Rioja's most serious single-estate addresses since the 1970s. The fact that it's a contiguous 62-hectare finca — rare in a region built on blended sourcing — gives every bottle a real sense of place and consistency that's hard to fake.
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Viñedos del Contino
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