Tempranillo
[tem-prah-NEE-yoh; tem-prah-NEE-lyoh]
Grown primarily in Spain, Tempranillo is Spain's quintessential, indigenous "Noble Grape". The term "Tempranillo" is named after the Spanish word "Temprano", for "early", referring to the fact that this grape ripens sooner than the other traditional varietals in Spain (2 weeks earlier than Garnacha, for example). It's a thick-skinned black grape used to make full-bodied red wines. Tempranillo is usually aged in American and French oak, producing a smooth, elegant wine capable of long aging. Tempranillo can generate deep-colored wines with characteristics of strawberry, vanilla, spice and fresh tobacco. Because of its lower acidity and alcohol levels, Tempranillo is usually blended with other grape varieties. It is also ideal for making young wines, "jovenes", where the grape imparts juicy strawberry and summer fruits flavors.
Tempranillo's most famous expression is in the rich, velvety red wines of La Rioja, where it is mostly blended with Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano and aged in oak. Unlike other classic grape varieties, like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo has a bewildering array of aliases around Spain's wine regions. In La Rioja, Navarra, Somontano (in the Pyrenees) and the Levante (south eastern Murcia and Valencia), it is known by its international name, "Tempranillo". However, it is also called "Cencibel" in La Mancha and Valdepeñas (south of Madrid); "Ull de Llebre" (eye of the hare) in Catalonia; "Tinta de País" or "Tinto Fino" in Ribera del Duero; "Tinta de Toro" in Toro; and in Madrid it is simply called "Tinto de Madrid".
Tempranillo is also used in quality winemaking outside Spain. In the Douro in Portugal (where the grape is known as Tinta Roriz), Tempranillo is a principal component of Port. The Alentejo region east of Lisbon, Portugal (where the grape is known as "Aragonêz") also produces a good Tempranillo, although it is not commonly available in the United States. Tempranillo is extensively produced in Argentina and Mexico. Some new releases in California have shown this grape's versatility.
