Wine · Grape variety guide
Grape Variety Guide · WSET Level 2
Tempranillo
Spain's noble red — leather and spice built up through long oak ageing.
Medium tannin
Oak-aged
Leather & spice
Where it grows
- Rioja, Spain — Tempranillo-dominant blends, traditionally aged in American oak
- Ribera del Duero, Spain — a fuller, more concentrated style
- Toro, Spain — powerful, deeply coloured examples
- Douro & Dão, Portugal — grown as Tinta Roriz or Aragonez
- Argentina — smaller, newer plantings
What it tastes like
- Red cherry, plum and strawberry fruit when young
- Vanilla, coconut and dill from traditional American oak ageing
- Leather and tobacco notes develop with time in bottle
- Medium tannin, medium-high acidity, medium to full body
Growing notes
- Thick-skinned and relatively early-ripening — the name comes from "temprano" (early)
- Suits Spain's continental climate, including high-altitude plateaus that help retain acidity
- Widely blended with Garnacha and other local grapes
Good to know
Rioja's Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva categories are defined by minimum oak and bottle ageing time — a classification system built almost entirely around how Tempranillo develops with age.
Exam tip
Expect questions on Rioja's ageing categories (Crianza/Reserva/Gran Reserva) and on identifying American oak character — vanilla, coconut and dill — as a Tempranillo marker.
Part of the Grape Guide — browse all varieties, or jump back to the study sheet.
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