red grape · major international
Tempranillo
Duero valley, Spain
Say it
tem·prah·nee·yoh
The double-l (ll) is a palatal lateral in Spanish; most American speakers render it as a 'y' sound — 'NEE-yoh' is correct.
On the palate
Body
medium full
Acidity
medium minus
Tannin
medium
Aromatics
medium
strawberryred cherryred plumdried herbsleathertobacco
How you spot it blind: savory leather and tobacco with dried strawberry; unusually low natural acidity
The story
First written down · 1513, Navarre, Spain (as 'Aragonés')
Parentage as a natural cross of white Albillo Mayor × red Benedicto was confirmed by SNP and microsatellite genotyping in 2012 (Ibáñez et al., AJEV 63:4).
Family tree: ALBILLO MAYOR × BENEDICTO
Where it lives
Rioja DOCa · Ribera del Duero DO · Toro DO · Navarra DO · Douro DOC (Portugal)
Shows up as
still redroséfortifiedRioja DOCaRibera del DueroToro DODouro DOC
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Also answers to Tinta Roriz, Aragonez, Cencibel, Tinto Fino, Tinta del País.
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