Peter Morrell raises a glass to one of the world’s best loved grape varieties

National Tempranillo Day is on the second Thursday of November each year. It’s an annual event dedicated to Tempranillo, a red grape variety native to Spain and one of the most important grapes in the world of wine.

The Tempranillo grape produces wines that are often medium to full-bodied, with flavours of cherry, plum, tobacco, leather, and spice.

The grape’s name comes from the Spanish word temprano, meaning “early,” because it ripens earlier than most other Spanish red grapes.

Tempranillo is the signature grape in several Spanish wine regions and is particularly fêted in the Ribera del Duero region where winemaking dates back over 2,000 years. It is the dominant variety, making up about 95% of all production.

The region is situated in northern Spain, along the Duero River in the region of Castile and León. The river continues west into Portugal, where it becomes the Douro, home to Port wine.

The climate and terroir feature hot, dry summers and cold winters. Many of the wineries are at high altitude, up to 3300 feet, which means there are large day-night temperature variations which create complexity in the wines produced. The soils are a mix of limestone, clay, and sand which add to the intricacy of the flavours.

Peter Morrell, Editor comments “I’ve recently tasted the Cepa Gavilán Crianza 2022 from Vina Pedrosa situated in the Ribera del Duero region, and I was highly impressed. The grapes for this wine were grown at an altitude of more than 2500 feet, it poured a deep inky purple colour, an early indication of the wine’s depth. The bouquet had an abundance of red fruit aromas like cherry, plum and blackberry and these were complemented by notes of spice and vanilla. The term ‘Crianza’ which means breeding or upbringing, guarantees that the wine has been aged for at least 12 months in oak barrels, it is this process that gives the wine its complexity and multitude of flavours.

“In the mouth the wine was full-bodied and very smooth, and there was an intriguing profundity which was almost earthy. On the palate the fruit remained, and new flavours emerged including smoky oak, tobacco and leather. The finish was ultra dry from the well-balanced tannins and there were persistent and pronounced notes of liquorice, spice and fruit.

“This is a lovely wine and the perfect match to drink with a good steak or roasted lamb.”