Campo Viejo Reserva Especial

Another bottle of Rioja, this time a Campo Viejo 2000 Reserva Especial. Especial I tell you. It’s a deep ruby with just a hint of age on the rim. It smells rich and oaky with plenty of vanilla covering some black and red fruits.

It’s dry with a balanced acidity and quite soft tannins, but it’s thinner than I’d expect with a lighter mouth feel and less intensity of fruit flavour than I tend to go for in a Rioja. It’s smooth with some sweet spiciness on the finish.

At around £8 a bottle this is reasonable value, but it’s not a landmark Rioja. I’ve had better wines from this producer, so I suspect I wouldn’t choose this 2000 offering again, but I would try another Campo Viejo.