TEMPRANILLO has probably more synonyms than any other grape variety. It is Spain’s most popular black grape found in many regions, but especially famous in Rioja, where it can be blended with garnacha, mazuelo (AKA carignan) and graciano. In the higher altitude cooler Ribera del Duero region, it is known as Tinto Fino or Tinta Fina, and is blended with cabernet sauvignon. Here you can find some of Spain’s most sought-after wines such as Vega Sicilia and Dominio de Pingus. Widespread plantings are increasingly found in Portugal where it makes a dry red under the synonym of, again, Tinto Fino and Aragonez. Travel to other parts of Spain and it is known as Tinta Madrid, Tinta del Pais and Tinta de Toro. In Australia, plain old tempranillo remains one of the fringe alternative grape varieties and if you search academic work prior to 1990 there is little reference to it being planted.
Temprano means early in Spanish which is maybe how the grape variety got its name as it ripens early. The vine can either be trellised or grown as a bush vine. Cropping levels can vary, but for Frank van de Loo, viticulturist turned winemaker at Mount Majura Vineyard in the Canberra District, they are low. “There is sensitivity to powdery mildew, but we usually manage that without much trouble. In some seasons we wish the canopy would hold off senescing (leaves turning autumnal) a little longer in order to get the ripeness that we’re after – it can take a bit to get good tannin ripeness.” Birds also like tempranillo. “We net it all, but they still try to find their way in,” Frank sighs. So, there are a few seasonal challenges facing growers, but it can start even earlier with planting the right clonal material. Frank explains, “We originally planted D8V12 from Victoria and that had leafroll virus type 5, so we replaced it with clean material from South Australia of the same clone. We now have several other clones as well, but D8V12 is the bulk of what we make and we are very happy with it.” Mount Majura started making wine in 2003 from the young vines but it wasn’t until 2013 that the vineyard had matured enough to produce single site bottlings. It is a long process and under appreciated by most drinkers.
I asked Frank what first attracted him to plant it. “Originally I was attracted to it because it was different, but now the appeal lies in how well we find it suits our site. It does work well in a variety of regions, but I think it excels in continental climates. You don’t get the same cherry-cola/savoury aromatics in any other variety I’ve met, and it can make wines of the sort of structure and power that only a handful of other varieties can achieve.” Canberra District’s generally cool climate means that the grape can retain its acidity and produce more elegant styles. This, coupled together with the red volcanic and limestone soils, make it an interesting site for the grape and not dissimilar to Northern Spain.
Generally, tempranillo produces medium-bodied wines with soft acidity. It displays fruity black cherry character and has high levels of glycerine which produces a silky texture. Tannins are generally moderate to high. Australia produces a number of different styles from unwooded fruit driven wines to serious oak matured, structured and age worthy styles. Strict water control is essential to restrict the size of the berries to obtain good quality fruit. When grown on fertile soils the wines can be light bodied with red fruits, restricting the yield and water produces more fleshy medium bodied wines with better tannins. In cool climates the wines display more spice and savoury notes and more tannin again.
The Rioja region produces wines that show the special side of tempranillo. To be labelled a Gran Reserva, for instance, it must first be from a great vintage and then undergo five years of aging before release, including a whopping two years in either French or American barriques. Traditionally these wines would have a dusty or tobacco character, however, these days, you are more likely to find some primary fruit still there. Crianza and Joven style wines are released with less and sometimes no oak and are designed to be drunk young and fresh and are more popular. It is a significantly large viticultural area with a massive 66,000 hectares of plantings spread over the three zones of Alta, Alavesa and Oriental. The last zone was called Baja up until 2017 when the name was changed. In Spanish Baja means a drop or fall, denoting it is the lower of the three regions. This faint reference upset some producers. However, far from solving the problem, the new name has sparked more complaints! Tempranillo is planted in around 88% of all vineyards with garnacha, mazuelo and graciano making up the rest. The habit of blending sub-regions was entrenched up until 2019 when the local Consejo Regulador finally allowed single vineyard wines (Viñedo Singular) to be recognised on the label.
It makes me question why we don’t see more tempranillo blends in Australia? Master of Wine Phil Reedman thinks that the grape works well enough on its own as a varietal here. “Our wines have a good level of acidity which is often a bit soft in Rioja where it is balanced by the addition of garnacha and graciano,” explains Phil. Frank makes a blend called TSG. “We’re not trying to copy a Rioja blend, and other producers are having success with partners like touriga, shiraz and even cabernet, so there are no rules. In our TSG blend, tempranillo gives dark fruits and savouriness and grainy tannins, while shiraz gives some mid-palate flesh and graciano gives spice and lift. I would love to try co-fermenting them, but they ripen too far apart.”
I’m torn between tempranillo as a single variety or a blend, and whilst there is an argument, and often I agree with the saying, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, tempranillo has enough character to fly solo.