Chorus is a journey of departure and return, drawing two sensibilities together to create a powerful, resonant melody. Born to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Viñedos del Contino, this exceptional wine is the purest expression of the terroir of the San Rafael estate, reinterpreted through the precise and patient eye of Guillaume Thienpont, a fourth-generation winemaker in Pomerol.
Just as it took a master to reveal the splendour of Venice, it has taken a master in chiselling the power and finesse of Pomerol to reinterpret the purest expression of this vineyard.— Víctor Urrutia, Presidente Viñedos del Contino.
The idea for Chorus began to take shape with the fiftieth anniversary of Viñedos del Contino, when Víctor Urrutia proposed to Guillaume Thienpont that they create an exceptional wine — one capable of expressing the terroir of San Rafael from an entirely new perspective.
From his very first visit to the 16th-century manor house that is home to the winery, Guillaume was captivated by the place: “There was instant chemistry with everything. With Víctor Urrutia and Jorge Navascués, I felt we were speaking the same language.”
Chorus thus springs from the union of two visions that converge in the glass: the pursuit of finesse, an intimate reading of the vineyard, and the conviction that excellence always grows from a deep, enduring connection with the land.
I am grateful for the trust and the generosity with which the people of Contino have opened their doors to me, and for the freedom to work in a way that feels true to the wine.— Guillaume Thienpont
San Rafael is the Contino estate: a 55-hectare single vineyard encircled by a meander of the River Ebro as it passes through Laserna, where the property unfolds in gentle terraces from the historic manor house down to the riverbank.
Its plots host alluvial, clay-limestone and clay-loam soils — a geological diversity that gives rise to wines of great complexity, depth and character.
Guillaume Thienpont found familiar elements in this landscape: gravels reminiscent of some of the finest soils in Pomerol, and a surprising climatic continuity that, in his own words, links the two regions: “Often, when clouds appear over Rioja Alavesa, they can also be seen over Pomerol.”
Together with Contino’s technical and viticulture teams, he walked the estate to select the plots best able to express, with the greatest purity, the finesse, fragrance and balance that define Chorus.
The people who give voice to Chorus are an essential part of its identity. Their talent, judgement and shared sensibility form the creative force that sustains this wine.
To give shape to Chorus, Guillaume Thienpont and the Contino team walked the San Rafael estate in search of the plots best able to express, with the greatest purity, the finesse and balance that defined their vision of the wine.
The San Gregorio Encina, Don Vicente and Viña del Olivo parcels were selected for the singularity of their soils, exposures and capacity to offer a precise, nuanced interpretation of Tempranillo.
Worked exclusively for this blend, the variety finds a new dimension here: a refined expression of its character, in which depth, structure and tension are integrated under a philosophy of precision, minimal intervention and absolute respect for origin.
Every cluster destined for Chorus is the result of meticulous selection in both vineyard and cellar, where only the finest expression of each parcel passes into the final blend.
The grapes are vinified separately in wood, using indigenous yeasts, with carefully measured extraction guided by daily tastings that allow the texture and tannin profile of each lot to be refined with precision.
Malolactic fermentation and subsequent ageing take place in French oak barrels selected from the cooperages Seguin Moreau, Sylvain and Taransaud, in a balance between new and used wood that preserves the purity of the fruit and accompanies the wine without imposing upon it.
The result is a red wine of serene structure, depth and refinement, conceived to express with clarity the identity of its origin and the philosophy that gives Chorus its meaning.
It has vivacity and elegance, along with a clear sense of structure and a long, persistent trail of fruit on the finish.— Jacobo García Andrade — James Suckling
A wine of considerable grace and charm.— Colin Hay — The Drinks Business
An ethereal, fluid, brilliant Contino from 2024, different from any other ever produced here. The secret is to control the natural power of the place and to find the essence with finesse.— Luis Gutiérrez — Robert Parker Wine Advocate
