Tempranillo is a black grape that makes full-bodied red wines. Widely planted in its native Spain, it is the principal grape variety used to produce Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain’s “noble grape”. Tempranillo derives its name from the Spanish word for early, temprano, due to its ability to ripen several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes. It has grown in international popularity in the past century and is now regularly featured in the wines produced by South America, USA, South Africa, Australia, and Canada.
Image used courtesy of La imagen del vino
Once thought to be related to the Pinot Noir grape, Tempranillo was first mentioned in a 13th century Spanish poem that refers to the Ribera del Duero region. There are few historical records of Tempranillo being grown and cultivated in Spain, which could be explained by the many different names by which it has been known. Until the 17th century it was believed that Tempranillo vines were best suited to the slightly cooler climate of Spain’s northern provinces, thus it was in the wine regions of La Rioja and Valdepeñas that it made its historical mark. Tempranillo experienced a burst of fame in the late 1800s when many of the famous Bordeaux Châteaux turned to Spain for grapes after the phylloxera plague had destroyed their own vines. These days it is frequently blended with Grenache (the perfect partnership for a Rioja wine), Cabernet Sauvignon, Monastrell, and several other varietals.
The Conquistadors took the grape to America in the 17th century, and astonishingly it has retained most of its genetic identity through the years. The impact of pests and diseases encouraged viticulturalists to graft Tempranillo vines onto more resilient vine roots, hence the Tempranillo produced in Chile and Argentina for example is slightly different to the Spanish original.
Tempranillo arrived in California under the name of Valdepenas in the early 1900s but received a cool reception from wine makers because of its apparent adversity to hot dry weather and also because of the approach of prohibition. In fact, the production of Californian Tempranillo did not flourish until the 1980s with the identification of more suitable mountainous sites.
Tempranillo has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent times. This can be attributed in part to the immense efforts of a ‘new wave’ of Spanish growers who were intent on proving that Tempranillo wines of comparable great character and quality could be produced beyond the Rioja region. This has resulted in an influx of Tempranillo varietal wines, especially in the cooler Spanish regions of Ribera del Duero, Navarra and Penedès, where the climate suits the vine better. Nowadays there are also substantial quantities of the vine grown in the Penedès, Navarra and Valdepeñas regions. With alcohol levels that are usually low to medium it is easy to understand why it is such a popular wine to drink in the warm sunny Spanish climes. Tempranillo also plays a central role in Portugal; known as Aragonêz in Alentejo Central it is used to produce red table wine blends, whilst in the Douro it is known as Tinta Roriz and mainly used for making port wine.
Further afield, Tempranillo is thriving in Australia, where many of the keen young winemakers have experimented with it with impressive results in McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills and in Western Australia. There are now over 100 Australian wineries making wine from this variety.
Tempranillo wines may be consumed young, but the more expensive wines have been aged for several years in oak barrels. The Riojas produce elegant wines with strawberry and sour cherry flavours that combine in perfect harmony with the flavours of oak in the Reserva and Gran Reserva wines. Oak ageing is crucial to traditional Rioja, and the length of time spent in the cask or bottle is indicated on the label; Reserva indicates a minimum of three years ageing (of which at least one must be in oak), Crianza has aged for slightly less time yet a Gran Reserva has been oak-aged for much longer. In recent years modern producers have been tending to bottle their top wines earlier than in the past, giving birth to fruity Riojas labelled as joven (young) or sin crianza (unoaked).
Tempranillo wines tend to have savoury rather than sweet flavours. With a deep ruby red in colour, their aromas and flavours tend to feature berries, plum, fresh tobacco leaves, vanilla, leather and herbs. Tempranillo can accompany a wide range of food including red meats, pork, turkey, duck, and hard cheeses, especially Spain’s Manchego. Lamb is a real favourite in central and northern Spain and the Rioja wines seem to match this dish flawlessly.
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