Tempranillo: the great Spanish red, from Rioja to Ribera
66 bottles, from joven to gran reservaBlack cherry, tobacco, leather, a hint of vanilla when the oak has had its say: this is the red you serve with roast lamb or a rib of beef, and the one you lay down in the cellar for ten years. Tempranillo ripens early, hence its name (temprano, early), and takes on the face of its place.
In Rioja, it gives fine, spicy reds; in Ribera del Duero, on a plateau above 750 m, darker and tighter wines. Read the selection by appellation, then by ageing designation.
David Moreno - Rioja Crianza 2021
A Crianza from old high-altitude vines, indulgent and silky, polished by twelve months in American oak.
Couvent Rouge - Couvent Rouge 2017
A high-altitude Lebanese red, structured and generous. An original blend of freshness, fruit and spice.
Couvent Rouge - Petit Couvent Rouge 2020
A generous Lebanese red, between black fruit, violet and spice. A frank, gourmand cuvée from the Bekaa.
Arizcuren - Monte Gatún rouge 2023
A high-altitude Rioja Oriental, supple and fragrant. Bright fruit meets fine tannins.
Cuentaviñas - Tinto Fino 2019
An old-vine Tempranillo, deep and beautifully balanced. Ribera del Duero in a precise, fresh interpretation.
Cuentaviñas - Los Yelsones 2020
An intense, chalky single-plot Rioja. The finesse of Tempranillo meets a singular mineral freshness.
Cuentaviñas - El Tiznado 2020
A great single-plot Tempranillo, intense and mineral. Deep fruit meets a refined tannic structure.
Cuentaviñas - Alomado 2019
A single-plot Rioja with Atlantic freshness. Deep, precise and finely spiced.
Jose Gil - Camino de Ribas
A single-plot Rioja with high-altitude freshness and deep fruit. Elegant, floral and finely spiced.
Jose Gil - El Bardallo
A precise, floral lieu-dit Rioja, driven by limestone freshness.
Jose Gil - La Canoca
A lieu-dit Rioja, deep and airy. Limestone freshness elegantly extends its fruit.
Jose Gil - Labastida
A lively, nuanced village Rioja, driven by fruit and limestone freshness.
Jose Gil - San Vicente de la Sonsierra
A vibrant village Rioja, where fruit and freshness take precedence over oak.
Dominio del Challao - Challao 2021
A high-altitude Rioja, deep and taut. Fine fruit meets the limestone imprint of Labastida.
Artadi - Viñas de Gain 2021
A Rioja Alavesa Tempranillo, at once juicy, fresh and finely spiced. Elegant fruit in the service of terroir.
Pintia - Pintia 2020
The power of Toro, crafted with precision and freshness.
Macán - Macán Clásico 2021
A precise, silky Rioja Tempranillo, where fresh fruit meets the elegance of spice and oak.
Macán - Macán 2020
A great Rioja Tempranillo, deep and silky, where controlled power and freshness move forward together.
Dominio de Pingus - Psi 2022
A precise and harmonious Ribera del Duero, finely expressing the depth of old Castilian vines.
Dominio de Pingus - Pingus 2022
A Ribera del Duero Tempranillo of great depth, combining concentration, precision, and elegance.
Dominio de Pingus - Flor de Pingus 2022
A great Ribera del Duero Tempranillo, combining depth, precision, and elegance in a silky texture.
Vega Sicilia - Único 2014
A Ribera del Duero of great depth, combining aromatic complexity, silky texture, and remarkable aging potential.
Vega Sicilia - Valbuena 2020
A Ribera del Duero of great precision, combining aromatic depth, balance, and elegance.
Vega Sicilia - Unico Reserva Especial Venta 2025
Unico Reserva Especial, Vega Sicilia's most timeless and complex expression, born from the blending of great vintages from Ribera del Duero.
Tempranillo, appellation by appellation
The Atlantic influence of the upper Ebro valley refines the grape; the continental plateau of the Duero makes it denser.
| Denomination | Climate and soils | Tempranillo in the glass | A benchmark in the cellar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rioja AltaHaro, Ygay, the Sonsierra | Atlantic influence, clay-limestone and ferruginous clay | Cherry, sweet spices, lively acidity, takes well to oak | Viña Alberdi Reserva 2021La Rioja Alta, €29.70 a bottle, by the case of 6 |
| Rioja AlavesaLaguardia, Labastida, Elvillar | North bank of the Ebro, limestone at the foot of the Sierra de Cantabria | Fresh fruit, chalky frame, great precision | Viñas de Gain 2021Artadi, €41 per bottle, in a set of 3 |
| Rioja OrientalAlfaro, Mount Yerga | Warmer and drier, Mediterranean influence | Blended with Garnacha, round and sun-drenched fruit | La Vendimia 2018Palacios Remondo, €13.50 per bottle, by the case of 6 |
| Ribera del DueroBurgos and Valladolid | Continental plateau above 750 m, cold nights | Dark colour, black fruit, tight tannins | Pago del Cielo Celeste Crianza 2020Torres, €24 per bottle |
| Ribera del Duero, SoriaAtauta and its old vines | The highest and coolest part of the appellation | Tension, precise black fruit, old-vine depth | Viñas Viejas de Soria 2021Dominio de Es, €110 per bottle |
| Toro Zamora, downstream on the Duero | Dry, contrasting climate, sandy and stony soils at around 700 m | Tinta de Toro: power, substance, ripe tannins | Pintia 2020Pintia, €98.60 per bottle, in a set of 2 |
A single-plot wine expresses one place: that is the choice of Artadi in Rioja Alavesa and of Dominio de Es in Soria.
Joven, crianza, reserva, gran reserva
The durations below are the minimums for Rioja and Ribera del Duero, in barrel and then in bottle.
| Please mention | Minimal livestock farming | What it changes | Example in the cellar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joven, roble | Bottled quickly; roble: a short spell in oak barrels | Crunchy fruit, to drink within three years | Peña Roble Joven 2024Resalte, €16.80 per bottle, by the case of 6 |
| Crianza | Two years, including one in barrel | Fruit and oak well integrated, vanilla, sweet spices | Finca San Martín Crianza 2021La Rioja Alta, €17.60 per bottle, by the case of 6 |
| Reserva | Three years, including one in barrel | More depth, leather and tobacco, softened tannins | Viña Ardanza Reserva 2017La Rioja Alta, €49 per bottle, in a set of 3 |
| Gran Reserva | Five years, including two in barrel | Bouquet of undergrowth and dried fruit, very long ageing potential | Gran Reserva 904 2016La Rioja Alta, €115.60 per bottle |
| Site wine or winemaker's wine | Free duration, set by the winemaker | The plot and the altitude count for more than the designation | El Carretil 2022Artadi, €300 per bottle |
The designation tells you the ageing; the ageing potential depends on the producer.
A bottle for every mood
Choose by occasion, budget or appellation.
An everyday red
An expressive Rioja with red fruit and spice, for a Saturday barbecue or a slow-cooked dish.
Tinto Madurado 2022, David Moreno: €11.90 per bottleStart with the lower prices
Jovens, roble and first crianzas: Tempranillo at its fruitiest, for a table of tapas with friends.
The selection by ascending priceA classic Rioja
A reserva from a great Haro house, aged a long time in barrel: candied cherry, spice, leather, a seamless texture.
Viña Ardanza Reserva 2017: €49 per bottle, in a set of 3A red for ageing
A gran reserva to lay down in the cellar or open with game, with a bouquet of undergrowth and dried fruit.
Gran Reserva 904 2016, La Rioja Alta: €115.60 per bottleHigh-altitude Ribera
A high-plateau crianza, black fruit and freshness, to discover the dark, tight face of Tinto Fino.
Pago del Cielo Celeste Crianza 2020, Torres: €24 per bottleA grand table
The Tempranillo of the Vega Sicilia family in Ribera del Duero, powerful and precise, for a joint of beef.
Alión 2021: €122 per bottleExplore Rioja
Rioja Alta, Alavesa and Oriental: classic houses, single-plot growers and blends with Garnacha.
The Rioja selectionExplore Ribera del Duero
From Valdrinal's entry-level reds to the great names, Vega Sicilia and Pingus, with the old vines of Soria.
The Ribera del Duero selection
The classic and the site, side by side
The selection covers both ends of Tempranillo. On one side, the classic houses of Haro and Ygay, La Rioja Alta and Marqués de Murrieta, which age their wines for a long time and sell them ready to drink. On the other, the growers of place, Artadi in Rioja Alavesa and Dominio de Es in the heights of Soria, who put the plot before the designation.
In between, Ribera del Duero brings its density, from Valdrinal to Vega Sicilia and Pingus. The selection weighs heavily towards reds for ageing: that is where Tempranillo shows its full measure, after ten years in the cellar. For the sunny side, see also Garnacha.
One grape, seven names
Tinto Fino or Tinta del País in Ribera del Duero, Tinta de Toro in Toro, Cencibel in La Mancha and Valdepeñas, Ull de Llebre in Catalonia. In Portugal, it is called Tinta Roriz in the Douro and Aragonez in the Alentejo, where it goes into the great blends. To explore further, see our Portugal selection.
The Wine Wanderer Team
What we are asked about Tempranillo
What is Tempranillo?
It is the great red grape of Spain. Its name comes from temprano, "early": it ripens earlier than Garnacha. Fairly thick skin, moderate acidity, aromas of cherry and plum, it gains complexity with ageing in barrel. It reigns over Rioja and Ribera del Duero, and grows in almost every part of Spain.
What does a Tempranillo wine taste like?
Young, it smells of cherry and plum, with a supple palate. Aged in barrel, it takes on notes of vanilla and clove; with age come leather, tobacco and undergrowth. In Rioja, it stays fine and spicy; on the Duero plateau, it becomes darker and more tannic.
Are Tempranillo and Tinto Fino the same grape?
Yes. In Ribera del Duero it is called Tinto Fino or Tinta del País; in Toro, Tinta de Toro; in La Mancha, Cencibel; in Catalonia, Ull de Llebre; in Portugal, Tinta Roriz. The clones differ slightly with the climate, but the variety remains the same.
Rioja or Ribera del Duero: what's the difference?
Rioja follows the Ebro under Atlantic influence: finer reds, lively acidity, often long ageing, and blends with Garnacha or Graciano. Ribera is a high continental plateau where Tempranillo ripens under wide temperature swings: darker colour, black fruit, tight tannins. Compare Viña Ardanza Reserva 2017 (€49 per bottle, in a set of 3) and Alión 2021 (€122).
What do crianza, reserva and gran reserva mean?
They are ageing designations. A crianza has aged two years, including one in barrel; a reserva three years, including one in barrel; a gran reserva five years, including two in barrel. A joven goes straight into bottle. The table of designations gives an example of each.
How long can you keep a Tempranillo?
A joven or a roble is best drunk within three years. A crianza blossoms between three and eight years. Classic reservas and gran reservas, such as La Rioja Alta's Gran Reserva 890 2011 (€304 per bottle), last twenty years and more. The great wines of Ribera, Vega Sicilia Único first among them, call for long patience in the cellar.
What dish should you serve with a Tempranillo?
Which good Tempranillo to choose for under 20 euros?
The selection offers some fine entry-level bottles: Tinto Madurado 2022 from David Moreno at €11.90 per bottle, Celeste Roble 2021 from Torres at €15.90 per bottle, or Finca San Martín Crianza 2021 from La Rioja Alta at €17.60 per bottle, by the case of 6. The selection sorted by ascending price brings them together.