Tempranillo varietal

The Tempranillo grape variety

The Tempranillo grape owes its name to the fact that it reaches its optimum ripeness before other Spanish varietals. It requires specific climate conditions to mature at its best, such as abundant sunshine (hours) to develop colouring matter and to ensure sugar levels.

These particular conditions can be ideally found in the North of Spain, particularly in La Rioja, where it is the most important and widespread grape variety, as it is considered indigenous to the region. Tempranillo grapes at their best produce fresh tasting and dry wines.

Tempranillo ages in a very dignified manner, maintaining a harmonious balance bertween structure, colour and acidity. It has an open, interesting palate in young wines and velvety smooth when aged. Of great finesse and being highly aromatic, it provides top quality vintage wines due to its low oxidation level. It is characterised by medium sized and compact clusters and by bluish grains that yield ruby-coloured wines and the appropriate alcohol strength.