Bodegas Campiña Contadero Joven Tinta de Toro 2009

Bodegas Campiña’s 2009 Contadero Joven offers an intense, mouth-filling glass of Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). The deeply colored 2009 Contadero produced from old vines should enthrall any serious red wine lover. The wine exhibits a brooding crimson color with blue and violet highlights. Its intense ripe berry, plum, and spice scents literally pour from the glass. In the mouth, Contadero comes across as fleshy, full, and harmonious. Un-fined and un-filtered, there is nothing shy about this wine. Nevertheless, this full-bodied beauty never comes across as harsh or ponderous. Its ripe fruit is nicely balanced with healthy tannins. It drinks beautifully now but should improve for an additional four to five years. For optimum enjoyment, allow the 2009 Contadero Joven 15-20 minutes of aeration and serve it cool (no more than 65° F).

The 2009 Contadero Joven will turn more than a few heads, when served with or without food. This delightful Spanish beauty delights with simple, hearty dishes as well as more elaborate fare. Some of our favorite companions to the Contadero Joven are baby back ribs and spare ribs served with a smoky barbecue sauce. This full-bodied Tempranillo is equally at home with marinated flank steak or a charcoal broiled filet. Wood roasted barbecue chicken with smoked Gouda, red onion, and cilantro offers another worthy partner to the Contadero Joven. Buffalo wings, hamburgers, pizza, and frittatas offer other tasty accompaniments. A spicy jambalaya of fresh fish, mussels, chicken, and sausage that’s served with a Creole sauce, rice and beans, provides yet another winning partnership. Spanish cheeses, such as Manchego, Mahon, and Zamorano, pair superbly with this wine, too, and require little or no preparation. Enjoy!

Bodegas Campiña is a special cooperative. It is comprised of just 19 growers, all with old vines. The bodega farms 494 acres, all of which are Certified Organic, sustainable, or biodynamic. Moreover, none of the vines at Bodegas Campiña are under 20 years of age and many are between 80 and 100 years of age. The growers’ parents and grandparents planted the vineyards in several prime municipalities in Toro, including Venialbo Morales de Toro, Villabuena Bridge, Vault del Toro, San Román de la Hornija, Villafranca de Duero, and Sanzoles. Bodegas Campiña’s Contadero Joven is 100% Tempranillo, which in Spain is also known as Tinta de Toro. What first appeared to be a dream to the 19 growers at Bodegas Campiña became a reality in 2005 with the construction of Bodegas Campiña’s winery. The bodega released its first wine, a red called Campina, in 2006. Given the bodega’s old vines, the future bodes especially well for Bodegas Campiña.

Tempranillo is Spain’s most important red grape variety. It is the only grape, or at least the essential player, in most of Spain’s greatest red wines. Tempranillo is responsible for the illustrious red wines of Ribera del Duero as well as the finest wines of Rioja. However, excellent Tempranillo is not confined to just a few of Spain’s appellations. It grows especially well at higher elevations throughout northern and central Spain, including Toro. In Spain, Tempranillo thrives to a very old age, with an abundance of vines over 100 years of age.