Ah, the 2015 Camino del Monte Rioja, made from Tempranillo grapes and blessed with a back label that actually respects my time. No “sun-kissed vines whispering secrets of the earth” nonsense—just straight to the point: here are the grapes, here’s the style. Thank you, Spain, for cutting the fluff and saving me from squinting at paragraph-long poetry while my glass sits empty.
Now, I’ll admit I was a little nervous about the 2015 vintage. That’s practically ancient in Grocery Outlet years, where wine sometimes tastes like it’s been stored under someone’s porch next to old paint cans. But to my surprise, this one aged gracefully. Medium dry, rocking way more oak—or some sort of tree, than I expected. And I didn’t mind at all. Add in some jammy notes that stayed classy and didn’t veer into fruit syrup territory, and I was impressed.
The ABV clocked in at 13.5%, which is basically Rioja saying, “Relax, I’ve got this.” Enough to give it backbone. The tannins aka puckeryishness™ showed up strong and unapologetic, giving it some nice structure without making my mouth feel like a chalkboard.
Pairing choice? Enchilada casserole. Yeah, the wine was probably praying for a steak, but sometimes you’ve just got to make do with whatever’s left in the fridge. And you know what? It worked. The tannins and spicy meat sauce actually high-fived each other and viola, instant friendship. Sometimes bad ideas just work.
At $9.99, this bottle is a steal. I’d definitely pick it up again, maybe even give it the steak it was yearning for. Or maybe I’ll just keep throwing it at random meals to see what happens. Either way, it’s proof that sometimes taking a chance on an “old” bottle pays off—and not just in the “I survived this” kind of way.
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