Recently (December 06, 2024), the Young Gun of Wine team decided to revisit a Tempranillo-focused tasting…some three years on from their inaugural ‘Deep Dive into Tempranillo’ in 2021.
Exerts from the article can be found below, or read the full article here.
Tempranillo is unarguably Spain’s most recognisable variety, forming the bedrock of that country’s most famous red wines. It is also a grape that has seen explosive global growth, with more tempranillo planted since 2000 than any other variety. In Australia, it has made a modest but meaningful mark, but with limited genetic vine material, the potential for the grape is exponentially bigger…
This years Deep Dive: Tempranillo tasting panel includes:
- Katarina Lange, Sommelier, Botanical Hotel;
- Christina Kaigg-Hoxley, Wine Development Manager, 67 Pall Mall;
- Luke Campbell, Director & Head Buyer, Vinified Cellar Management;
- Nicola Reid, Sommeliers Australia;
- Andrea Infimo, Head Sommelier and Beverage Manager, Marmelo;
- Victoria Pun, Consulting Sommelier.
- Andrew Wyse, Sommelier and Importer, Cardwell Cellars;
- Sacha Imrie, Sommelier, Daughter In Law.
They gathered every (current) example possible you’d find in Australia, and set the panel the tasks of finding the wines that compelled them the most. All wines were tasted blind, and each panelist named their top six wines. Below are the top wines from the tasting, as per the YGOW article:
- 2021 Fighting Gully Road Tempranillo, Beechworth $45 RRP
- 2022 Wangolina A-Series Tempranillo, Limestone Coast $28 RRP
- 2022 St Aidan ‘Ferguson’ Tempranillo, Geographe $34 RRP
- 2022 Farmer & The Scientist Tempranillo, Heathcote $35 RRP
- 2022 La Linea ‘Sureño’ Tempranillo $38 RRP
- 2020 Lethbridge ‘Vero’ Tempranillo, Heathcote $55 RRP
- 2022 XO Wine Co ‘Small Batch’ Tempranillo, Adelaide Hills $35 RRP
- 2022 Tar & Roses Tempranillo, Heathcote $29 RRP
- 2023 The Hedonist Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $28 RRP
- 2022 Willunga 100 Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $30 RRP
- 2022 Samuel’s Gorge Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $45 RRP
- 2019 Signature Wines Tempranillo, Adelaide Hills $45 RRP
- 2022 Mayford Wines Tempranillo, Alpine Valleys $44 RRP
- 2024 Franca’s Vineyard Tempranillo, Riverland $22 RRP
- 2022 La Linea Tempranillo, Adelaide Hills $29 RRP
- 2022 De Iuliis ‘Special Release – LDR Vineyard’ Tempranillo, Hunter Valley $35 RRP
- 2023 Glandore ‘White Label’ Tempranillo, Hilltops $38 RRP
- 2022 A. Rodda Tempranillo, Beechworth $45 RRP
- 2022 Angullong ‘Fossil Hill’ Tempranillo, Orange $30 RRP
- 2022 Rusty Mutt ‘Conejo Joven’ Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $30 RRP
- 2023 Serafino Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $28 RRP
- 2021 Municipal Tempranillo, Strathbogie Ranges $35 RRP
- 2023 McHenry Hohnen Tempranillo, Margaret River $45 RRP
- 2022 Henschke ‘Stone Jar’ Tempranillo, Eden Valley $50 RRP
- 2022 Willow Bridge ‘Solana’ Tempranillo, Geographe $38 RRP
- 2023 Golden Grove ‘Joven’ Tempranillo, Granite Belt $35 RRP
- 2022 DiGiorgio Tempranillo, Limestone Coast $31 RRP
- 2022 Artwine ‘Hola’ Tempranillo, Clare Valley $36 RRP
- 2018 Golden Grove ‘Gran Reserva’ Tempranillo, Granite Belt $130 RRP
- 2016 Municipal ‘Reserve’ Tempranillo, Strathbogie Ranges $55 RRP
- 2022 Nepenthe ‘Elevation’ Tempranillo, Adelaide Hills $25 RRP
State and Vintage tally: South Australia 14; Victoria 9; WA 3; NSW/ACT 3; Queensland 2. 2022 19; 2023 5; 2021 2, all other vintages appeared only once.
What they wrote about our 2021 Tempranillo:
2021 Fighting Gully Road Tempranillo, Beechworth $45 RRP
Chosen by Imrie, Campbell, Reid, and Lange as one of their top-six selections from the blind tasting, this tempranillo was celebrated for its complexity and richness.
Imrie described it as “perfect ruby in color, with a medley of dark red and black fruits—cherry, strawberry, plum, and blackcurrant—layered with floral notes, sarsaparilla, and pencil shavings.” She noted the wine’s balance and structure, saying, “It sits on the heavier side of medium, with well-handled oak, fine tannins, and fresh acidity supporting the palate. The savory umami character, with hints of autumn leaf, mushroom, and soy, elevates its appeal. The finish is long and deeply satisfying, leaving you wanting more.”
Lange found it equally engaging, remarking on its “oak-dominant nose of graphite and pencil shavings, brightened by concentrated cranberry and cherry cola aromas.” She added, “Bay leaf, celery salt, and charred meat notes bring savory intrigue, while the palate’s concentration and length make this a wine to pair with rich stews or pasta.”
Campbell, meanwhile, highlighted its vibrancy, describing an “explosion of mixed berries, cherries, and black jube vibes, with fennel and chinotto overtones.” He likened it to “a sophisticated grenache,” ideal with spiced lamb koftas or a chickpea and chorizo tagine.
Reid, charmed by its brightness, said, “Blueberry, raspberry, and rose petals make this jovial and approachable, while fine powdery tannins and lively acidity create a balanced, punctuated finish.”
What they said about Mark Walpole
Mark Walpole is one of the modern champions of the grape, as well as being one of the country’s most respected viticulturists. When he took an interest in tempranillo it was as a young viticulturist at Brown Brothers in the 1980s. With Graciano well established in the Brown Brothers vineyards (another legacy of De Castella’s collection), Walpole thought it logical to source some tempranillo to blend with. That search took him to the Hunter Valley, where he was just in time to rescue material from what may have been the last established planting in the country.
We got the cuttings from a vineyard in the Hunter that was ripping it out because they said it didn’t work there, and we grafted up enough to plant about an acre,” he says.
That vineyard was planted with the help of Walpole’s brothers in Victoria’s Alpine Valleys, part of a 16-hectare planting focused on alternative grapes, including a nursery block of some 60 varieties.
Mark Walpole is one of the modern champions of tempranillo in Australia, as well as being one of the country’s most respected viticulturists.
There’s quite a remarkable difference [between clones],” he says. “We’ve only had our first crop off the ones through the Yalumba Nursery this year, but they are very, very different from the old, original Davis clone… far more structure, much more tannin… and even visually as a vine. We’ve found a massive difference with lower pH and much better acidity, and retaining it as well. With one particular batch, we didn’t add any acid to it at all.”
The vineyard in the Hunter, Denman Estate, had the only registered plantings of tempranillo at the time, which Walpole believes would have been based on vine material from California’s Davis University, rather than De Castella’s much earlier importation. There was some material imported to Merbein, Victoria, in 1964, then two clones from UC Davis in 1966 and ’71, and while the single clone at Denman has not been verified, Walpole circumstantially believes that it is most likely one of the two US-propagated clones.
Walpole’s first viable crop was in 1991, with the fruit contracted to Brown Brothers. Catching the eye of the fortified maker at the time, the grapes ended up in ‘port’ bottlings, with it not being made into a table wine until 1996 with a small cellar door release – this country’s first acknowledged varietal bottling. That first tentative step was enthusiastically received, with Brown Brothers encouraged to commit to a vineyard in Heathcote, as well as Walpole extending his family holdings.
Tempranillo in Australia: Judging out-takes…
“This is a massive improvement from three years ago when I did this very same Deep Dive,” declared Andrea Infimo, kicking off the group discussion.
Luke Campbell reflected on the current commercial history of tempranillo plantings in Australia, which only began in the 1980s. “In a spectrum like this,” he said, gesturing to the blind lineup of wines, “it shows how far tempranillo has come in a relatively short amount of time.” Campbell continued, “I was surprised that there were not more bright, crunchy, fresh, joven styles in this Deep Dive. Nevertheless, there were some standout wines here – the winemakers have gotten the wrestle right, between ripening, acid, savouriness, and oak use.”
Infimo agreed: “I feel some producers are finding the right balance regardless of the style. There was one that was evidently carbonic, and it was perfectly managed – it had great intensity; it had structure, without necessarily the support of new oak that this variety often requires,” he said, before mounting his case that tempranillo needs ‘structure’ and oak.
Sacha Imrie concurred: “The oak spectrum of the wines today was really interesting. As you said, the brighter and fruit-forward styles are very popular right now, but I think the most successful wines here today had more oak support and structure.”
“Yeah, I agree with that,” said Nicola Reid. “Definitely, in terms of capturing the tannin, I think it’s so critical with tempranillo. It’s such an amazing variety in that it’s a great carrier of ‘terroir.’ Obviously, as we’ve seen today, there are these beautiful youthful, ‘joven’ styles that are so approachable and easy drinking, but it can garner complexity – and I think the lineup really demonstrated that today.” Reid continued, “But I think the most challenging thing – and I think the lineup demonstrated this – was harnessing those chalky tannins while also capturing the fruit profile. There were actually only very few wines that harnessed that completely, and those were certainly the ones that I awarded.”
Tempranillo – The Back story
Tempranillo literally translates as “little early one” (temprano means early), with the vines budding late and the grapes often ripening two weeks earlier than other Spanish red grapes. This early ripening (something generally associated with cool climate grapes) sits at odds with the casual view of Spain being hot – and by default Spanish wine regions – that seems to be forged by an image of a sun beating down on cracked red earth, a matador death-dancing in the dust with a bull. It’s a cliché, for sure, but it seems pervasive for many. Read more.
Extracurricular
Feel like nerding out about tempranillo some more? One of the great nurseries in Australia is the Yalumba Nursery. You can read about varietal characteristics, and the clones available in Australia here.