La Cave du Vin Issue 5 - 2007 Campo Viejo Rioja Gran Reserva
- Deepest House -
Welcome back to another issue of La Cave du Vin. After a short break, we are in a new region and a new country: Rioja, in north central Spain. In the previous issues, we explored the world of Bordeaux, France. Much like the French appellations such as Haut-Medoc or St. Emilion, the right to label a wine Rioja is reserved by the Spanish government only for wines originating in that region.
Rioja is the most famous wine region in Spain, as is Bordeaux for France. Spaniards are very proud of their winemaking tradition in Rioja, and hold the wine, and the grape from which it is made, in high regard. People on the Iberian Peninsula have used the Tempranillo grape to make wine dating back to at least Roman rule.
Wine makers produce Rioja in differing levels of quality. The most basic, and least expensive, is labeled simply Rioja. The next level up is Rioja Crianza, followed by Rioja Reserva, and finally Rioja Gran Reserva. Each level has certain requirements that the producer must meet in order to place each label on their wines. One of the distinguishing characteristics of Riojas, Crianza through Gran Reserva, is the length of oak barrel aging.
Rioja Crianza requires at least six months in oak barrels, with another 18 months in the bottle before release. Reservas require at least one year in oak barrels, with another two years cellared in the bottle before release. Gran Reservas age at least five years before release, with a minimum of 24 months of oak barrel aging. Many producers of Gran Reservas regularly exceed the 24 months, and age up to 30 months or longer in oak. The longest known oak barrel aging was the 1942 Marques de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. This wine spent 41 years aging in the barrel before finally being released in 1983. By comparison, quality Bordeaux wines usually spend between 12 and 18 months aging in oak barrels.
Rioja Gran Reservas are the best wines that Spain has to offer. Because the best Riojas do not carry the same reputation, nor demand, as the best First Growths of Bordeaux such as Chateau Lafite Rothschild or Chateau Latour, the prices remain affordable. That’s not to say that Spanish wine can’t compete with French wine; on the contrary, the best Spanish wines can often stand toe-to-toe with the best Bordeaux.
The 2007 Campo Viejo Gran Reserva is 85 percent Tempranillo, 10 percent Graciano, and 5 percent Mazuelo. A medium ruby color, not as dark as the heaviest of reds, but certainly darker than a light red such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir, Campo Viejo sits towards the middle of the color spectrum. Aromas of cherries, vanilla, and a hint of eraser greet the nose with a swirl. Soft fruits, tempered by 9 years of age frame the wine, with notes of leather, toasty oak, and graphite trailing. The finish is short, but smooth, and the wine medium-dry. Nothing is out of place, but nothing stands out. The tannins aren’t grippy, but certainly present and fit well, if not a bit understated, with the light mouthfeel.
Campo Viejo is a Rioja Gran Reserva, but is a mass-produced, commercial wine, not the product of a single wine producing property, such as the Chateaux previously profiled in this column. However, Campo Viejo Gran Reserva certainly uses only the best grapes, and meets all of the aging requirements. At $20, the 2007 Campo Viejo Gran Reserva offers the casual wine drinker the opportunity to drink a Gran Reserva and experience what 24 months in a barrel and 3 years of bottle cellaring will give a wine, without shelling out $40 or $50. The Tempranillo grape performs admirably here and will complement red meat, lamb, or even grilled chorizo without dominating the palate.
