Tempranillo

TL; DR

One of the world's most planted grapes that gets the most glory in Spain.

So, what is Tempranillo all about?--red

Tempranillo is the Spanish hero grape; a spicy, earthy red that is planted across the country. It can be juicy & fresh or ultra-powerful.

Tempranillo goes by a few different names (master of disguise!) depending on the region, so be on the lookout for Ull de Llebre, Cencibel, Tinta del Pais, Tinto Fino and Tinta de Toro... they're all Tempranillo!

Where did Tempranillo originate?--aromatic

You might have guessed it... Spain! In fact, historical research has shown that this grape has been in Spain since at least 800 BC. Originally from the north, it has now spread to the entire country. Portugal also has a fair share of plantings, which it is known as Tinta Roriz.

Where is Tempranillo from?--racy

These days Tempranillo is one of the most-planted grape varieties in the whole world — ranking 3rd most planted in a 2020 census! But despite this high global ranking, the majority of these plantings are solely located in the Iberian peninsula, that is Spain and Portugal.

The most famous regions for the grape in Spain are Rioja and the Ribera del Duero. These two regions are known to produce age-worthy, structured, and some of the most elegant examples of the grape. In Rioja, it takes the lead in the region's famous blends (most often with varying proportions of Grenache, Carignan and Graciano). In Ribera del Duero, it is typically either blended with Cabernet Sauvignon — making for a bolder style of wine — or is made into a single varietal expression.

There are also many plantings in neighbouring Portugal! Tempranillo is widely used in the Douro Valley for two purposes. It's used to make the classic fortified wines of the region (Port!) as well as dry table wines. Unlike Spain however, it is more often than not used in multi-variety blends with other local grapes and rarely seen bottled as a single varietal expression.

Though Spain and Portugal hold the lion's share of plantings, it's also worth mentioning a few other regions that this grape has found favour, though at a much smaller volume. This would be most notably, Argentina, where the warm climate is wonderfully suited to the flavours and structure of Tempranillo. There's also some notable success coming from Australia and old vine plantings in California that are definitely worth trying!

What does Tempranillo taste like?--aromatic

With Tempranillo, we're talking juicy red fruit — cherry, strawberry etc, and lots of dried red plum. It will likely have a touch of red flowers as well, all mixed in with leather, clay and an array of spices. With age, expect even more leather, nuttiness, cocoa and coffee.

It's important to note that a lot of Spanish wineries use American oak, which — fun fact — often imparts a unique coconut and dill aroma to the wines.

What are the main styles of Tempranillo?--cellar

Ok so this is a long one, but bear with us... in Spain, the more expensive wines always see time in oak — in fact, their grading system (somewhat outdated, but that's just our opinion...) is based on time aged in oak.

So the young/no oak wines are labelled Joven, wines with a short spell in oak are Crianza, wines with at least a year in oak are Reserva and wines with at least 2 years in oak are Gran Reserva. The more time in oak, the more expensive.

This ageing significantly alters the flavour and style of the wine — from young, fruity and fresh to savoury, spicy and leathery.

What foods pair with Tempranillo?--plum

This is where the age of the wine and the time it spends in oak should be considered. Younger wines are well suited to paella, tacos, burgers and tomato-based pasta — all that fun Friday night stuff! The powerful wines that see some oak and have aged longer are better matched with richer dishes and bold flavours. Think roast lamb, tagines, steak, and cassoulet.

Fun fact--earth

The name Tempranillo derives from the Spanish temprano or 'early', in reference to the early-ripening period of the grape (compared to other Spanish grapes).

If you like this, you should also give these grapes a guzzle...--wines

Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Sangiovese