Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Smooth, lush blackberry, blueberry and pastry aromas cue up a fully tannic but well-balanced palate. This wine tastes toasty, chocolaty and peppery, with underlying ripe blackberry fruit. A minty, toasty finish runs chocolaty and long, with no let up.
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Wine Spectator
Black cherry, boysenberry, cola and mineral flavors mingle in this ripe, lively red. The muscular tannins are well-integrated, and citrusy acidity keeps this fresh.
Notoriously food-friendly, long-lasting and Spain’s most widely planted grape, Tempranillo is the star variety of red wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. The Rioja terms Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva indicate both barrel and bottle time before release. Traditionally blended in Rioja with Garnacha, plus a bit of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano, the Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero typically stands alone. Somm Secret—Tempranillo claims many different names depending on location. In Penedès, it is called Ull de Llebre and in Valdepeñas, goes by Cencibel. Known as Tinta Roriz in Portugal, Tempranillo plays an important role in Port wine.
Spain's remote, high elevation Spanish wine zone between the regions of Bierzo and Ribera del Duero produces intense, full-bodied reds made from Tempranillo, locally called Tinta de Toro. This local variant has adapted to the region’s climatic extremes and recognizing its potential, top producers from Ribera del Duero and Rioja have invested heavily in its vineyards.