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All About Tempranillo
Versatile, variable tempranillo Tempranillo is a grape of mystery, traveling the world under different names like a spy with many passports. Even in Spain, its homeland, tempranillo is known as tinta de Toro, tinta del pais, tinto fino, cencibel and ull de llebre ("hare's eye"). In Portugal it is called tinta roriz or maybe aragonez. The names are regional variations that have persisted for decades or centuries, but they also give a clue to the wine's style as expressed in a particular region. The result is an appealing diversity that can be fun to sort through. Tempranillo's personality is a recognizable flavor profile that shows through almost anywhere it is grown well: cherry and plum fruit, with earthy components that usually resemble the tobacco aromas of a fine cigar before it is smoked. Tempranillo is the main red grape of Rioja, where it typically is blended with graciano and mazuelo. Rioja offers the classic Spanish expression of red wine, although some wineries there are producing new, more modern wines, and those often are made exclusively of tempranillo. (I wrote about them in last week's column.) Tempranillo achieves a different, bolder expression in Ribera del Duero, a region in north-central Spain along the Duero River (which flows into Portugal as the Douro, where tempranillo, as tinta roriz, is one of the major grapes of port). Cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec are allowed, but most reds from Ribera del Duero are pure tempranillo, usually called tinto fino or tinta del pais. They tend to be deeper in color and firmer in tannin than Rioja wines, with an accent on tempranillo's earthy tobacco character. Rioja's vineyards are cradled by the Sierra Cantabria, a mountain range that protects them from harsh weather off the Atlantic Ocean. Ribera del Duero has no such guardian. It is a rather flat region at high altitude, with a short growing season and the risk of late spring frost or damaging storms. As a result, Ribera del Duero wines can have more pronounced differences from vintage to vintage, while Rioja's vintages are more consistent. The Duero's most famous winery, Vega Sicilia, produces rare and expensive wines. More recent superstars such as Pesquera, Emilio Moro and Dominio de Pingus also are zealously sought after by fans and collectors. But the region's growth in the past few decades means there are plenty of high-quality affordable wines to explore. Wines from the Duero seem somehow to be designed for the American palate. (Not everyone would consider that a plus, of course.) They are rich and ripe, usually with prominent wood flavors from aging in American and/or French oak barrels. Yet they are well balanced, with fairly moderate alcohol and good acidity, making them excellent reds for late spring, when we fire up the grill for those charred and smoky flavors. |
