Campo Viejo 1964 Gran Reserva

Wine: Campo Viejo 1964 Gran Reserva

Winery: Bodegas Campo Viejo (Logroño, La Rioja)
Appellation / Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano
ABV: 12.5%
Winemaking

Grape selection from various plots across Rioja Alta. The wine spent 18 months in old oak vats for fermentation and stabilization before racking. It was matured for 36 months in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels, undergoing two manual rackings (trasiegas) per year. Bottled between April and May 1970. A minimum of 3 years of bottle aging was completed in the winery’s cellars prior to release. 

 

Tasting Notes
 

Appearance: Bright, pristine garnet-ruby with medium depth; showing reddish highlights and a broad, tawny (tile-red) rim. It presents a light, scaly sediment. 

 

Nose: Classicism taken to its very paroxysm, reminiscent of the winery's historic bottlings. Recognizable, powerful, and expressive, it is filled with those cherished traditional markers: wine-soaked staves, barnyard, aged leather, and vanilla. It expresses itself softly yet incessantly, opening up to red fruit in liqueur, sour cherries, bitter orange marmalade, black pepper, smoky notes, and a background of aromatic herbs. Beautiful and elegant in equal measure. 

 

Palate: Fleshy and lively on the palate, with firm, luminous tannins and a high-quality, striking acidity. It possesses energy, breadth, structure, and nerve, with an unusual amount of concentrated red fruit accompanied by earthy sensations and fine bitter nuances. A wine of immense integrity that differs little, if at all, from the well-known 1964 Campo Viejo Reserva. The only difference between the two labels was an additional six months of barrel aging and one extra year of cellaring prior to release. Two identical, "cloned" wines that masterfully capture the best of this legendary vintage. Another lesson in craftsmanship from Campo Viejo!

 

Personal Score: 91
Tasting Group Score: 92