Understand the grape
Getting to know the grape
The name comes from temprano, the Spanish word for early, because the grape ripens sooner than many of its neighbours. Young Tempranillo smells of cherry, plum and strawberry, sometimes with a floral note of violet. Time in oak and bottle moves the wine towards dried fruit, tobacco, leather and cocoa. Tannin is usually medium to firm and acidity is moderate, so the wine feels structured without being sharp. Spanish winemakers have long used American oak, which can add dill and coconut; some now prefer French oak or larger old casks that leave the fruit clearer.
Spain's labels often tell you how long the wine was aged, not what it was made from. In Rioja, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva are ageing categories set by the regulator. They describe time in barrel and bottle, not sweetness or quality. Outside Rioja the grape appears under local names: Tinto Fino or Tinta del País in Ribera del Duero, Tinta de Toro in Toro, Cencibel in La Mancha, Ull de Llebre in Catalonia and Tinta Roriz or Aragonez in Portugal. Learning these names makes a Spanish or Portuguese wine list much easier to read.
Where Tempranillo changes
Grape to place
Compare how the grape grows and tastes in these places. Each guide explains the local wines; the Atlas shows where they come from.
Rioja
Tempranillo covers about four fifths of the registered vineyard and almost nine tenths of the red area. Rioja reds are often blended with Garnacha, Graciano or Mazuelo and sold by ageing term: Joven, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva.
Ribera del Duero
Here Tempranillo is Tinto Fino or Tinta del País, and a red must contain at least 75 per cent of it. The vineyards sit high on a continental plateau with cold winters and dry summers, and the wines are often darker and more concentrated than Rioja.
Toro
Tinta de Toro is the local name for Tempranillo. The zone is continental and semi-arid, and a red that names its grape on the label must hold at least 85 per cent of Tinta de Toro or of Garnacha Tinta. Expect a sturdy, deeply coloured style.
Navarra
Navarra is better known for Garnacha rosé, but its rules allow Tempranillo alongside Garnacha and international grapes. Look at the label for the grape and the ageing term to see which style you have.
Douro
Across the border the grape is Tinta Roriz, also called Aragonez. The Douro's regulator names it among the native reds, with Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. Most Douro reds are blends, though single-variety wines exist, mainly from these three.
What changes the result
Vineyard and cellar
The ripeness of the grapes, contact with their skins, and time in tanks or barrels all help shape the wine. Here is what to look for.
Ageing in oak and bottle
Spanish regulators set minimum ageing times. Rioja red Crianza needs at least two years in total, with a year in a 225-litre oak barrel. Reserva needs three years, with a year in barrel and at least six months in bottle. Gran Reserva needs five years, with two in barrel and two in bottle.
American and French oak
American oak tends to give vanilla, coconut and dill. French oak is usually more restrained, with spice and toast. Both are used for Tempranillo, and the choice shapes the style as much as the place does. A traditional Rioja can taste of sweet spice and dried cherry, while a modern one may show darker fruit and more polished tannin.
Young wine with little oak
Not all Tempranillo spends years in wood. A Joven, or young, wine is bottled early to keep red fruit and freshness. Some Rioja is made by carbonic maceration, where whole bunches ferment before pressing, which gives juicy, low-tannin reds that smell of strawberry sweets. In Ribera del Duero, a young red with more than three months in barrel is described as Roble.
Blending
In Rioja, Tempranillo is often blended with Garnacha for warmth, Graciano for acidity and perfume, and Mazuelo for colour and tannin. In Portugal it is usually one part of a field blend or a blend of several native grapes. In Ribera del Duero and Toro, single-grape Tempranillo or Tinta de Toro is more common.
Read the label
On the bottle
A label may name the place instead of the grape. These names and terms help you work out what is in the bottle.
- Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva
- Ageing categories for Spanish reds. They describe how long the wine spent in barrel and bottle before release, not how sweet it is. Each step up means more time, and the exact minimums differ slightly between regions.
- Joven or sin crianza
- A young wine released with little or no oak ageing. Expect fruit and freshness rather than leather and tobacco. It is a good place to taste the grape itself before oak changes the picture.
- Tinto Fino, Tinta del País, Tinta de Toro
- Local names for Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero and Toro. They are not different grapes, although the wines can taste different because the vineyards are high, dry and cold at night.
- Tinta Roriz or Aragonez
- Portuguese names for the same grape. Aragonez is common in the Alentejo, Tinta Roriz in the Douro and Dão. You will see both on Portuguese red blends and in Port.
At the table and in the cellar
Practical use
Serve
Serve Tempranillo around 16 to 18°C. Young, fruity wines can go a degree or two cooler. Aged Reserva and Gran Reserva bottles are best with a little air in a large glass, and older wines need gentle handling because the sediment is fine.
Eat
The grape is built for roast lamb, grilled pork, chorizo, jamón, bean stews and mushroom dishes. Aged bottles suit slow-cooked beef and hard sheep's cheeses such as Manchego. Fresh young Tempranillo works with tomato-based dishes and cured meats. Very spicy food can make the tannin feel rough.
Keep
A Joven Tempranillo is best within a couple of years. Crianza is ready on release but can hold for several more. Reserva and Gran Reserva from good producers can develop for ten to twenty years or more, gaining tobacco, leather and dried fruit. Storage and producer matter more than the label term alone.
Taste it in three steps
Three bottles
You can try these bottles on separate occasions. Keep a note of the name, vintage and what you notice, then use the steps below to decide what to compare.
- 01
Taste a Rioja Crianza
Start with a Rioja Crianza. Look for red cherry, a little vanilla and a firm but friendly grip. Notice how the oak sits behind the fruit rather than in front of it.
- 02
Move to Ribera del Duero
Taste a Ribera del Duero red, labelled Tinto Fino or simply by place. Compare colour, concentration and tannin with the Rioja. The grape is the same, so the differences come from altitude, climate and the cellar.
- 03
Add an aged bottle or a Portuguese red
Try a Reserva, or a Douro red made partly from Tinta Roriz. Notice how tobacco and leather replace fresh fruit with age, or how the grape behaves when it is part of a blend.