Campo Viejo is a bodega that turns out some of the highest value wines of any producer in Spain, but this release shows that it can also compete at higher levels of seriousness with aged wines offering real complexity. This bottling is just starting to hit its stride at 7+ years of age since the fruit was vinified, and the interplay of spicy oak with bright fruit and savory undertones is very successful. Blended from 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, and 5% Mazuelo, it is emphatically not too woody for immediate enjoyment, yet for those with patience and decent storage capabilities, it will become considerably more complex over the next five years — even as its flavors and structural components become more integrated.
Campo Viejo, Rioja Gran Reserva (Spain) 2015
By Michael Franz