Rioja is best known for its aged Spanish red wines, famed for the long oak aging process and longer periods spent in the bottle. Spain is also a famous producer of younger wines, including Spanish rose wine. Here Campo Viejo has produced a Tempranillo based rose wine in the Rioja region.
Campo Viejo – History and Heritage
The Campo Viejo vineyard was founded by Jose Ortiguela back in 1959. The vineyard is located in the Rioja region close to the city of Logrono. The vineyard produces three principal wines including a Crianza, a Reserva and a Grand Reserva, representing the three traditional ages of the Rioja region. In addition the vineyard also produces the rose wine reviewed here.
Here Campo Viejo has produced a rose wine made from a 100% Tempranillo. The wine has alcoholic strength at 13.5% and the producer recommends serving at a temperature of between 8-10C. The wine is recommended for pairing with light dishes and salads.
Campo Viejo Rioja Tempranillo Rose – Tasting Notes
- Presentation – The wine comes in a clear Bordeaux style bottle, allowing the blush rose colour of the wine to shine through. The wine is sealed with a modern screw cap seal, thus a corkscrew is not required to open the bottle. Under the main wine label on the reverse is the DDOC label, indicating the provenance of the bottle for the Rioja region.
- Appearance – The wine is a mid-coloured rose pink, darker than many rose wines but not quite falling into the light red category.
- Nose – After removing the cap of the wine, the smell of strawberry instantly fills the room, even before the wine is poured. On nosing the wine there is the scent of strawberry and raspberries. One can also detect a little by the way of cooked meats on the nose.
- Pallet – The pallet is somewhat disappointing, after such a good start with the nose. The pallet is overly dry and lacks the fruitiness promised on the nose. The finish is dry and indistinct.
- Summary – Campo Viejo in this wine has produced a wine which promises much but delivers little in the way of flavour. The wine is not unpleasant however, the bottle is simply not worth the effort of opening. All in all this is a bottle to avoid.
Sources:
MacNeil, K. 2001. The wine bible. Workman Publishing.
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Frank Smith - Frank Smith currently works as an full time industry analyst for a well known construction company in Lincolnshire. In his spare time, ...
