IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAMPO VIEJO
Campo Viejo’s new Contemporary Range
Making an impression
A lot is made of tradition in the wine world. Gnarly old vines, grandiose buildings and lengthy family trees are all venerated – and rightly so. After all, roots (both literal and metaphorical) are a significant part of what makes wine special.
Sometimes this appreciation of heritage can give the impression that nothing ever changes, whereas in fact things are being altered and adapted all the time.
These changes can be driven by technological progress – in winemaking or viticultural knowledge, for instance. But sometimes they come about simply from the desire to do something different, to make a style of wine that hasn’t been made before.
And that is the case with the new Contemporary Range wines from the world’s number one Rioja brand (source: IWSR, 2024), Campo Viejo. Rioja in general (and Campo Viejo in particular) are both well-known for making wines that are complex, but also approachable.
The Contemporary Range white and rosé take this combination and give it a bold new spin – like an innovative cover version of a classic song.
'Campo Viejo sees its wines as capturing Spanish passion – or pasión – and, with four years of development behind them, it’s obvious that a lot of love and effort has gone into creating the two new Contemporary Range wines.'
Photos supplied by Campo Viejo
Published: 8th July
Just looking at the bottles tells you some of what to expect. Bright and eye-catching they show off the vibrant colour of the wine inside. There’s an airy feeling of space – like throwing open patio doors on a summer’s day to let in the outside world. They are clearly modern Rioja wines.
This impression chimes perfectly with the wines themselves, which can be perfectly described as a fresh white Rioja and a new take on Spanish rosé. They are bright, crisp and light, at just 10.5% alcohol.
A pasión project
Campo Viejo sees its wines as capturing Spanish passion – or pasión – and, with four years of development behind them, it’s obvious that a lot of love and effort has gone into creating the two new Contemporary Range wines.
It starts in the vineyard, where Campo Viejo uses only grapes from its highest sites. For the white, this means Viura and Tempranillo Blanco; for the rosé, Tempranillo, sourced from vineyards situated at up to 900m across the region.
‘The cooler nights and later ripening produced the best balance of natural acidity and floral and fruity profiles that we really liked for these wines,’ says winemaker Elena Suárez.
The winemaking is, on one level, simple – with no oak ageing or malolactic fermentation. Yet it is also incredibly precise, with Suárez and her team treading carefully to extract as much flavour and aroma as they can, while retaining the purity and brightness of the fruit.
‘We wanted to produce low-alcohol wine naturally, without invasive or unnatural processes,’ explains Suárez.
Discover more: www.campoviejo.com/en-uk/
Bright, fresh and lower in alcohol, Campo Viejo’s new Contemporary Range brings a distinctive modern take to the classic flavours and vineyards of Rioja
xxxxxxxxxxx
For food, fun and friends
The blanco is defined by flavours of white flowers, citrus, apple and pear; the rosado by perfumed aromas of strawberry, blackberry and cherry. Both dance across the palate on ballet shoes: graceful, soft, delicate.
Clearly, these are wines that can work with food – fish, seafood and tapas for the blanco, salads and rice for the rosado. But perhaps their biggest attraction is how they open up Rioja to new occasions.
With their lower alcohol and lighter style, they are superbly refreshing: ideal for sunny terraces and summer barbecues; for the spontaneous aperitif moment; for laughter-filled occasions with friends.
They are a great example of a modern, easy-drinking Rioja blanco and rosado in tune with modern lifestyle trends of fresher wines, lower alcohol and informal socialising.
The fact that they come with centuries of heritage and tradition hidden in the background is just an added bonus.
You can find the new Contemporary Range white and rosé at Sainsbury’s supermarkets for
£9.50 RRP – the perfect accompaniment for summer and beyond.
campoviejo.com/en-uk
