You may never have heard of Tinto Fino, Ull de Liebre, Tinta del País, Cencibel, Aragonés or even Tinta Roriz. But you most certainly know Tempranillo!
Indeed, Tempranillo is the premier black grape for Spanish wines, widely planted in the north and middle of Spain and Portugal.
It is a thick-skinned grape that needs warmth to be fully ripe, but also enough diurnal range to achieve the right acidity.
A versatile grape, it tends to produce high alcoholic wines and exceeds expectations every time! Vintage unoaked Tempranillo is fresh and juicy, with flavors and aromas of dried cherry, sour cherry, chard, and some meaty notes, typical of the variety.
The more serious wines are typically matured in French oak for a period that can vary from a handful of months to several years ("Gran Reserva"), gaining complexity and nuances, and display hints of black cherry, dill, fig, brown sugar, or cigar box.
As a rosé, the Tempranillo typically shows a beautiful salmon color, with a rich oily palate reminiscing strawberries, white pepper, clover, tomato, and bay leaf.
Tempranillo is the signature grape of the most famous Spanish appellations, such as Ribera del Duero - a must-try is Arzuaga Reserva, with 20 months of French oak maturation - or Rioja, of which Marqués de Cáceres Gaudium 2016 or Roda 2017 are excellent examples. It is also extensively used in La Mancha, producing wines that will surprise you for their quality-price ratio!
Such a popular grape has sparked some interest in New World countries, so do not be surprised if you see Tempranillo wine from Argentina, Chile, California or even Australia!
See our entire selection of Tempranillo
Author: Paloma Zuazo
