Benjamin Romeo’s Contador 2018 is a flagship Rioja DOCa Tempranillo built around ripeness, structure, and polish, with the kind of precision that has made the estate a benchmark for modern, single-vineyard-minded Rioja. In this vintage, the wine is firmly in that house style—serious, concentrated, and oak-shaped—but it is also described as notably measured and fresh for its level of power.

The strongest published assessment comes from **Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate**, which awarded an **excellent 98-point score**. Reviewer Luis Gutiérrez highlights what he calls “**the austerity and seriousness of the 2018 Contador**,” noting that it shares “very similar parameters as the 2019” yet “**comes through as fresher and more balanced**.” That balance is a recurring theme in the note: the wine is described as having “**very fine tannins**,” “**pungent flavors**,” and a “**long, dry and chalky finish**.”

Winemaking details are clearly stated in the review. According to Wine Advocate, the 2018 was made with “**fermentation and élevage…oak vat and 20 months in new barriques**,” and the new oak is “**being absorbed without problems**,” suggesting integration rather than overt woodiness at this stage. Production is limited: “**4,500 bottles produced**,” underscoring its small-scale, flagship positioning.

While it is built for the cellar, it is not forbiddingly shut down. Wine Advocate reports it is “**approachable now but should improve with time in bottle**,” and sums up the overall profile as “**rich and powerful but with elegance and lots of balance**.” The publication’s closing expectation—“**a classical and long-lived vintage of Contador**”—frames 2018 as a year where restraint and longevity sit comfortably alongside intensity.