Tempranillo

Tier: Global Headliner
Color: Red
Origin: Spain
Lineage: Autochthonous

Areas of Prominence: Tempranillo is a global varietal, but it is most strongly associated with its native Spain, where more than 80% of global vines are grown. In Spain, Tempranillo takes on different personalities across the nation’s top appellations. Rioja is perhaps Tempranillo’s heartland, though winemakers in Ribera del Duero may consider that fighting words. In Navarra and Toro, Tempranillo produces reds with power and jam, as well as rosés with intense flavors and color. In Portugal, Tempranillo is known as Tinta Roriz or Aragonez; it is one of the key grapes used in the production of fortified Port wine as well as dry table wines. In the New World, Spain’s top varietal is gaining momentum. Tempranillo is on the rise in Argentina, Australia, and the USA. Double-digit states are now growing Tempranillo, with California in the lead, of course, but Washington, Oregon, and Texas are finding success.

Iconic Wines: Spain’s Rioja is the traditional home of Tempranillo’s greatest wines, and Vega Sicilia Único from Ribera del Duero — blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot — is widely considered Spain’s most iconic red wine. La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 and Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial are Rioja classics with decades of track record. From Ribera del Duero, Bodegas Pingus and its second wine, Flor de Pingus, have achieved cult status, while Aalto remains an essential reference. Toro’s Numanthia and Telmo Rodríguez’s wines demonstrate how Spain’s other Tempranillo-based regions continue to raise the bar. In Portugal, where the grape is known as Tinta Roriz, Quinta do Crasto and Niepoort produce compelling expressions worth seeking out. An unexpected wine is Valley View Tempranillo Applegate Valley 2021, made from fruit grown on old vines (40 years or more in part) grafted onto varietal rootstock rather than American rootstock.

Tempranillo Attributes

Tempranillo Profile

Tempranillo is a noble red variety native to Spain. It is likely an ancient varietal as well, producing wines during the Roman Empire and perhaps earlier. A well-traveled rumor is that the Phoenicians introduced the grape to Iberia, but that has yet to be proven. Today, Tempranillo is Spain’s most widely planted red wine grape. Spain grows well over 80% of the world’s Tempranillo vines, followed distantly by Portugal. In Portugal, Tempranillo is known as Tinta Roriz and Aragonéz. Tempranillo has many aliases, even in Spain.

Tempranillo is a thick-skinned grape that likes moderate temperatures and soils that are not too dry. It ripens early; ‘temprano’ means ‘early’. Tempranillo thrives where warm days give way to cooler nights, extending its relatively short growing season.

Tempranillo is most closely associated with Rioja in Spain. If you grab yourself a bottle of red Rioja, it is extremely likely to be made primarily with Tempranillo. Tempranillo can be found as a solo performer or frequently blended with its Spanish mates Garnacha and Monastrell or with French varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Tempranillo is slightly darker and more robust than Pinot Noir (a well-known French varietal that I will detail in the coming pages). It offers red fruit flavors such as strawberry, raspberry, and cherry, with occasional blackberry notes. Tempranillo is frequently aged in wood (in Spain, it’s often American oak, as well as French oak casks), where it quickly picks up lovely secondary notes of vanilla, baking spices, and cigar box.

Aromatics and Flavors: Black Cherry, Fig, Cigar Box, Rosemary, Dried Herbs, and Violet
Wine Types: Red, Rosé, and Fortified

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