Tempranillo is an unusual grape in that it has both red fruit flavors (strawberry, cherry, raspberry) and black fruit flavors (blackberry, blueberry, black plum.) Structurally, it's like Cabernet Sauvignon, with medium acid and mouth-drying tannins. It normally takes American oak, which can lend vanilla, dill, and even coconut flavors. When it's young ('Joven,' in Spain) it's bright and fruity, and mostly doesn't register any oak. As it spends more time in oak ('Crianza' wines) it develops those vanilla and dill notes, and if it's given time to age in-bottle ('Reserva' and 'Gran Reserva'), it takes on rich leather and tobacco notes that make for an incredibly complex wine.
Our current list of Tempranillo based wines:
JOVEN:
Orlegi di Luberri Rioja $24
Trinidad del Conde de Hervias Rioja $35
Conde de Hervias Rioja $42
Aster Finca el Otero Ribera del Duero $50
CRIANZA:
Vina Real Crianza Rioja $22
Vina Sastre Crianza Ribera del Duero $34
RESERVA/GRAN RESERVA:
Remelluri Reserva Rioja $35
Luberri Gran Reserva Rioja $45
Remelluri Granja Gran Reserva Rioja $64
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