Tempranillo
Spain's most famous red and the main grape of Rioja; well structured and balanced, cherry when young, deep and earthy with age.
About the grape
Spain's most famous red grape, tempranillo makes a huge range of styles depending on where it is grown — it is the main grape of Rioja, where traditionally styled wines can resemble red Burgundy in refinement, earthiness, and complexity, but it also makes blockbuster dense reds like tinta del Toro and the tinta del país of Ribera del Duero. It is usually well structured and well balanced; its significant tannin lets it age for long periods, though the wine is generally not as firm on the palate as cabernet sauvignon, and its acidity gives precision without being as high as pinot noir. Young, its flavors burst with cherries; with age it takes on a deep, complex earthiness. It also grows in Portugal (as tinta roriz, a Port grape), Argentina, and California.
