Bodegas Campillo Blanco El Sueno 2019
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Clean, bright, straw yellow with greenish glints. In the nose is intense, open. Sweet, honeyed notes. The barrel is made present by the vanilla aromas. In the background there is a floral touch of white flowers. The palate is round, homogeneous, elegant, with good acidity. At the end, light notes of toast are perceived. Long finish, still present vanilla hints of the barrel.
It matches Franckfurt sausages with potatoes, fish and seafood. Along with goat and Roquefort cheese. Also, basil pasta, fried tomatoes or vegetables.
Campillo is produced by Bodegas Faustino, one of the most celebrated names in modern Spanish winemaking and the Rioja's single largest source of Reserva and Gran Reserva wines. However, this showcase winery is the Julio Faustino Martinez' personal mission create limited production, hand-crafted wines of exceptional quality united with architectural beauty.
Martinez selected 125 acres in the Laguardia region of the Rioja Alavesa, widely considered the finest area in the Rioja, as the site of his prized estate. The Campillo vineyards, characterized by arid, lime-clay soil and sheltered from extreme weather by the nearby mountain range, offer optimum growing conditions for Tempranillo, the classic Rioja varietal.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
Highly regarded for distinctive and age-worthy red wines, Rioja is Spain’s most celebrated wine region. Made up of three different sub-regions of varying elevation: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental. Wines are typically a blend of fruit from all three, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta, at the highest elevation, is considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier Rioja Oriental produce wines with deep color and higher alcohol, which can add great body and richness to a blend.
Fresh and fruity Rioja wines labeled, Joven, (meaning young) see minimal aging before release, but more serious Rioja wines undergo multiple years in oak. Crianza and Reserva styles are aged for one year in oak, and Gran Reserva at least two, but in practice this maturation period is often quite a bit longer—up to about fifteen years.
Tempranillo provides the backbone of Rioja red wines, adding complex notes of red and black fruit, leather, toast and tobacco, while Garnacha supplies body. In smaller percentages, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan) often serve as “seasoning” with additional flavors and aromas. These same varieties are responsible for flavorful dry rosés.
White wines, typically balancing freshness with complexity, are made mostly from crisp, fresh Viura. Some whites are blends of Viura with aromatic Malvasia, and then barrel fermented and aged to make a more ample, richer style of white.