Tempranillo
Tempranillo
is a primary red wine grape for much of Spain, especially
those from the Ribera del Duero and the Rioja Alta. It is
also a key blending varietal in Port and known by the name
of tinta roriz in Portugal's Douro Valley.
While its varietal character
is somewhat vague, its aromas and flavors often combine elements
of berryish fruit, herbaceousness, and an earthy-leathery
minerality. Rarely bottled as a stand-alone varietal, its
most frequent blendmates are grenache, (aka garnacha
in Spain), carignan (aka mazuelo in Spain) and, more
recently, cabernet sauvignon.