This is a relatively new estate, which was established in 1995 by Benjamin Romeo who acquired a cave under the castle of San Vicente de la Sonsierra in the Rioja area in Spain.
He also began to purchase vineyards in the surrounding area. Already in 1996 he produced his first wine “La Cueva del Contador”, but it took another 3 years before his masterpiece “Contador” was released on the wine market. International success followed rapidly because both the 2004 and 2005 vintages received the perfect score (100 points) from Robert Parker.
One of the “Garage-Wines” from Spain, the early vintages were produced in the garage of his parents in San Vicente, but from 2006 on, a new high-tech winery was built by architect Héctor Herrera, which was inaugurated in 2008.
Now, Benjamin Romeo produces 6 types of wine, including a white wine. The flagship of the bodega is the”Contador”, produced from old tempranillo vines from various plots in the Rioja area. The wine spends 20 months in 100% new French oak, but is still recognizable by its fruity character.
The average annual production is only 6000+ bottles, so the wine is much sought after. The average price of a bottle of “Contador” reaches € 200 or more. In a more accessible price range, Bodegas Contador also produces “La Cueva del Contador”, “Predicador” (both red and white wines), “A mi manera” and “Qué bonito Cacareaba”. All these wines did receive outstanding reviews from the international wine critics. T
he top vintages for “Contador” are: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012 and 2014.
