{"product_id":"2018-benjamin-romeo-coleccion-no-3-el-chozo-del-bombon","title":"2018 Bodega Contador Benjamín Romeo Colección Nº 3 El Chozo Del Bombón","description":"\u003cp\u003e2018 Benjamín Romeo Colección Nº 3 El Chozo Del Bombón is a deeply expressive, small‑production Rioja Alta red that captures the power and precision of old‑vine Tempranillo. Sourced from a single 50‑year‑old vineyard and crafted in minuscule quantities, it showcases the intense, oak‑driven house style that has made Benjamín Romeo a modern icon in Rioja. For collectors and serious enthusiasts, this is a wine built for the long haul, marrying concentration, structure and a striking sense of place.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasting Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the glass, El Chozo Del Bombón shows an inky, dense ruby to almost opaque purple core with a slight garnet rim, signaling both concentration and the beginning of development. The nose is clean and precise, layered with ripe black fruits—blackberry, black cherry and damson plum—wrapped in notes of sweet baking spices, cedar, cocoa, licorice and a touch of vanilla cream, plus a subtle hint of milk chocolate and toasted oak.\n\nOn the palate, this is a powerful, full‑bodied Tempranillo with great depth and tension. The fruit is rich and dark, yet kept in check by firm, remarkably fine‑grained tannins and a fresh, balancing acidity. Flavors of black currant, black cherry and mulberry are interwoven with espresso, clove, tobacco leaf and graphite, along with a generous overlay of new French oak that is more pronounced here than in Romeo’s other reds. The finish is long, savory and slightly smoky, with lingering spice and dark fruit. Still youthful and tightly wound, this 2018 will benefit from several more years of cellaring; expect an aging window of 10–20 years from vintage, during which the tannins will soften and the oak will fully integrate into the wine’s complex core.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEl Chozo Del Bombón is sourced from a single, roughly 50‑year‑old Tempranillo parcel in Rioja Alta, rooted in poor, brown limestone soils that naturally limit yields and heighten concentration. The elevated, Atlantic‑influenced climate of this subregion brings cool nights and a long ripening season, preserving acidity and aromatic complexity. Grapes are meticulously harvested by hand at optimal ripeness, with strict selection both in the vineyard and at the winery. Fermentation takes place in small oak vats using only indigenous yeasts, emphasizing the identity of the site. After fermentation, the wine is aged in 100% new French oak barrels—more assertively than in most of Benjamín Romeo’s cuvées—imparting structure, polish and a signature spice‑laden profile. A total of just 2,400 bottles were filled in June 2020, followed by a further nine months of bottle aging before release in early 2021 to ensure greater integration and balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood \u0026amp; Serving\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a substantial, structured Rioja best matched with equally flavorful, protein‑rich dishes. Think roasted or grilled lamb, rib‑eye steak, slow‑braised short ribs, Iberico pork, game birds, or hearty stews with wild mushrooms and root vegetables. Aged Manchego, hard sheep’s cheeses and truffled dishes also work beautifully with the wine’s dark fruit and oak‑spice profile. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) to highlight both freshness and depth. In its youth, decanting for 1.5–3 hours is strongly recommended to open up the nose and soften the tannins; even with some bottle age, a brief decant can help the wine show its full complexity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProducer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBenjamín Romeo is one of Rioja’s most revered modern artisans, best known for his flagship wine Contador, which famously received back‑to‑back 100‑point scores from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate for the 2004 and 2005 vintages. Trained at some of the region’s top estates before establishing his own bodega, Romeo championed a micro‑terroir approach in Rioja long before it became fashionable, focusing on tiny parcels, old vines and low yields to express the purity of each site. Working primarily in Rioja Alta and surrounding high‑quality zones, he combines meticulous vineyard work with a bold, precision‑driven cellar philosophy that emphasizes small‑lot vinification and high‑quality French oak. His wines, produced in very limited quantities, have helped redefine what Rioja can be at the top end: intensely concentrated, ageworthy and profoundly tied to their origins, while commanding respect from critics and collectors around the world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Benjamin Romeo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54251803181393,"sku":"GCW-CONT-18006","price":159.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0874\/0614\/9969\/files\/2018_Benjamn_Romeo_Coleccin_N_3_El_Chozo_Del_Bombn.png?v=1783441515","url":"https:\/\/bottlehero.com\/products\/2018-benjamin-romeo-coleccion-no-3-el-chozo-del-bombon","provider":"Bottle Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}