Rioja Gran Reserva 2011 Campo Viejo

Opened in 2001, the new Campo Viejo winery was designed to be a harmonious balance between winemaking, architecture and sustainability. These elements have come together to create a temple of winemaking that remains at the cutting edge of the international winemaking industry today. It is situated right in the heart of La Rioja, the most prestigious growing region in Spain and the native home of the Tempranillo grape. For this wine they sourced Tempranillo from the three sub-regions of Rioja; Alta, Baja ans Alavesa. Whole grape clusters are 100% gravity fed, without undergoing any type of pressure, which could adversely affect the quality of the wine. This gentle, painstaking winemaking process makes it possible to obtain smooth, harmonious wines, with lots of concentrated fruit aromas and flavors. 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, fermented in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature and maceration on the skins for approximately 20 days. The wine then aged for 24 months in American and French-oak casks (50/50) and 36 months in the bottle. This wine was awarded 94 points Platinum in the San Diego International Wine Challenge and Wine Review Online scored it 93 saying "Spain continues to be a world leader in value, particularly the reserva and gran reserva wines of Rioja. Campo Viejo's Gran Reserva from the 2011 vintage is a beautiful example, showing superb freshness despite its age and after significant time in oak. This spicy Rioja retails for about the price of a mediocre bottle of California Cabernet or a low-level Bordeaux. Primarily tempranillo with a dash of graciano and mazuela, this sleek Rioja delivers a wallop of red fruit mid-palate with impressive length. A tremendous value"