19. Tempranillo

Question 1

What levels of acidity are Tempranillo wines?

Answer 1

Medium acidity

Question 2

What level of tannins do Tempranillo wines have?

Answer 2

Medium tannins

Question 3

What flavours do Tempranillo wines typically exhibit?

Answer 3

Red fruit - strawberry, red cherry

Black fruit - blackberry, black plum

Question 4

Is oak used in Tempranillo wines?

Answer 4

Yes, common in Spain

Question 5

What flavours does oak use in Tempranillo wines impart?

Answer 5

Vanilla, smoke, cedar

Question 6

What flavours does bottle ageing Tempranillo wines impart?

Answer 6

Mushroom
Leather
Dried fruit

Question 7

How are Tempranillo wines aged?

Answer 7

Usually time in oak and also some bottle ageing

Question 8

What does ageing Tempranillo wines in oak do to the wine?

Answer 8

Softens tannins
Adds body
Imparts secondary flavours - vanilla, smoke, cedar

Question 9

What are the key regions for Tempranillo?

1 country, 3 regions

Answer 9

Spain - Catalunya, Rioja, Ribera del Duero

Question 10

What kind of wines are found in Catalunya?

Answer 10

High volume Tempranillo and Tempranillo blends

Question 11

Where is Catalunya?

Answer 11

Spain

Question 12

Where is Rioja?

Answer 12

Spain

Question 13

Where is Ribera del Duero?

Answer 13

Spain

Question 14

What climate does Tempranillo grow in?

Answer 14

Moderate to Warm

Question 15

What grapes are most common in Rioja wines?

Answer 15

Tempranillo, blended with local varieties and/or Garnacha

Question 16

How are Spanish wines classified in terms of labelling?

Answer 16

By ageing periods with legal minimum ageing criteria

Question 17

What is the Spanish wine labelling hierarchy?

Answer 17

Joven
Crianza
Reserva
Gran Reserva

Question 18

What are Joven wines?

Answer 18

Spanish wines, typically young and fruity
No ageing requirements
Released the year following the vintage
Primary fruit characteristics

Question 19

What are Crianza wines?

Answer 19

Spanish wines, aged in oak barrels before release

Secondary and primary characteristics

Question 20

What are Reserva wines?

Answer 20

Spanish wines, aged in oak barrels and in bottle
Primary, secondary and tertiary characteristics
Softer tannins
Some fresh red fruit flavours become cooked or dried

Question 21

What are Gran Reserva wines?

Answer 21

Spanish wines with the longest minimum ageing requirements

Pronounced secondary and tertiary characteristics

Question 22

What must a winemaker consider when deciding whether to create a Gran Reserva wine?

Answer 22

Quality of the grapes

Flavour intensity, acidity and tannins

Question 23

Which grape has the following characteristics:
Medium acidity
Medium tannins
Red fruit (strawberry, red cherry) to black fruit (blackberry, black plum) dependent on ripeness
Can be oaked or unoaked
Often barrel and bottle aged?

Answer 23

Tempranillo - Rioja wines