October In High Five Wine Academy:
Spain's Signature Red Takes the Spotlight
Imagine pulling the cork on a bottle that has waited five quiet years in a cellar in Rioja. The first aroma smells of ripe cherry. The second brings vanilla, dill and cedar from the influence of oak. Then, slowly, come leather, tobacco and dried fig: the gifts of time in the bottle. That journey from fruit to oak to age is the story of Spanish Tempranillo, and it is the grape we are exploring all October at High Five Wine Academy.
Want to taste it, not just read about it? Join the High Five Wine Club and get started picking out your October Tempranillo. Wine Coach, Tonia - that's me - it's my job to choose the grape (Tempranillo) and the place (Spain!) and your job to go out and choose the label and your price point. It's no use sending you wine to your door when it might not be the bottle you'd ever choose off the shelf. That's really important and what sets High Five Wine Academy apart from any other wine club. Plus tasting notes, food pairing recipes each week and member-only wine education sessions every Wine Wednesday on zoom.
Ok, back to it.
Ok, back to it.
Tempranillo is Spain's most planted red grape and the backbone of its most famous wines, from Rioja and Ribera del Duero to Toro and La Mancha. It is a grape that rewards curiosity. A young (Joven), unoaked Tempranillo is juicy and bright; a long-aged Gran Reserva is silky, savoury and complex. Learning to taste the difference is one of the most satisfying skills in wine tasting.
In this guide, you will learn where Tempranillo comes from, how to identify its primary, secondary and tertiary aromas, and what the Spanish aging classifications of Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva really mean in your glass. Whether you are new to wine or studying for your next certification, this is your complete Spanish Tempranillo tasting guide.
Meet Tempranillo: The "Little Early One"
The name Tempranillo comes from the Spanish word temprano, meaning "early." The grape ripens several weeks before Garnacha and other Spanish reds, which made it a natural fit for the cooler, higher-altitude vineyards of northern Spain. It is a thick-skinned black grape that gives wines with deep ruby colour, medium acidity, medium to high tannins and medium to full body.
On its own, Tempranillo has a relatively neutral, fruit-forward personality. That is exactly why it is so beloved by winemakers: it takes beautifully to oak aging and long cellaring. It is often blended with Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo (Carignan) or, in some regions, Cabernet Sauvignon, though many of Spain's top wines are 100% Tempranillo.
Tempranillo's Many Names
Tempranillo travels under a surprising number of local names, which is useful to know when reading Spanish wine labels:
- Tinto Fino or Tinta del País in Ribera del Duero
- Tinta de Toro in Toro
- Cencibel in La Mancha and Valdepeñas
- Ull de Llebre in Catalonia
- Tinta Roriz or Aragonez across the border in Portugal
Key Spanish Tempranillo Regions
- Rioja: The classic home of Tempranillo. Expect elegant red fruit, bright acidity and a long tradition of American oak aging that gives sweet vanilla and coconut notes.
- Ribera del Duero: High-altitude vineyards on the Duero River plateau produce darker, more powerful, more structured Tempranillo with black fruit and firm tannins.
- Toro: Hot days and old vines make Tinta de Toro bold, ripe and high in alcohol, with dense blackberry and plum.
- La Mancha and Valdepeñas: Warm central Spain makes approachable, great-value Cencibel, often in the Joven style.
The climate of each region shapes the fruit, and the winemaker's choices shape everything else. That brings us to the heart of wine tasting: the three layers of aroma.
Primary Aromas: The Taste of the Grape
Primary aromas come from the grape itself and the vineyard where it grew. They are the fruity, floral and herbal notes you smell first, and they are most vivid in young, unoaked Joven Tempranillo. As a wine ages, these fresh notes soften and evolve into dried and cooked fruit.
In cooler sites like Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, Spanish Tempranillo leans toward red fruit and fresh herbs. In warmer regions like Toro, it shifts toward ripe black fruit and jammy plum.
Primary Tasting Notes for Spanish Tempranillo
Red fruit
- Red cherry
- Sour cherry
- Strawberry
- Raspberry
- Red plum
- Redcurrant
- Cranberry
Black fruit
- Black cherry
- Blackberry
- Black plum
- Blackcurrant
- Mulberry
Floral
- Violet
- Red rose
Herbal and earthy
- Dried herbs (thyme, rosemary)
- Tomato leaf
- Bay leaf
- Black pepper
- Red clay and dusty earth
- Licorice
Tasting tip: Swirl your glass and smell before you sip. Can you pick out a red fruit and a black fruit? Most Spanish Tempranillo shows both, and the balance between them tells you a lot about the climate and ripeness of the vintage.
Secondary Aromas: The Fingerprint of the Winemaker
Secondary aromas come from winemaking: fermentation, malolactic conversion and, above all, oak aging. For Spanish Tempranillo, oak is the star. The choice between American oak and French oak, new or used barrels, and how long the wine spends in them shapes its flavour profile more than any other decision in the winery. These are tid bits we talk about often in High Five Wine Academy so you become familiar with the terms over time without the feeling of being in a lecture about wine. One more unique benefit of being of our
American oak is the traditional choice in Rioja. It gives sweet, bold flavours like vanilla, coconut and dill. French oak, increasingly popular in modern Rioja and Ribera del Duero, is subtler, with notes of toast, clove, cedar and baking spice. Many winemakers now use both.
Secondary Tasting Notes for Spanish Tempranillo
From American oak
- Vanilla
- Coconut
- Dill
- Sweet spice
- Caramel and butterscotch
From French oak
- Toast
- Clove
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cedar
- Smoke
From toasted barrels
- Coffee and mocha
- Dark chocolate and cocoa
- Toffee
From fermentation and malolactic conversion
- Cream and butter (from malolactic conversion)
- Yogurt
- Bubblegum and banana (in carbonic maceration Joven wines)
The oak notes are strongest in younger oak-aged wines like Crianza and younger versions of Reserva, where the wood has not yet fully integrated with the fruit. Over time in bottle, these flavours mellow and weave together with the primary fruit.
Tertiary Aromas: The Rewards of Bottle Aging
Tertiary aromas develop slowly as a wine ages, through gentle oxidation in barrel and chemical changes in the bottle over the months and years. Fresh fruit turns to dried fruit, tannins soften into silk, and a savoury, earthy complexity appears. This is where Spanish Tempranillo truly shines, and it is why Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are so treasured by collectors.
You can also see age in the glass. Young Tempranillo is deep purple-ruby; mature Gran Reserva fades to garnet and brick, with a paler, tawny rim.
Tertiary Tasting Notes for Spanish Tempranillo
Dried and cooked fruit
- Dried cherry
- Prune
- Dried fig
- Raisin
- Fruitcake
Savoury and animal
- Leather
- Meat and cured ham
- Game
- Soy
Earth and forest
- Forest floor
- Mushroom
- Truffle
- Wet leaves
Spice and wood
- Tobacco and cigar box
- Cedar
- Sweet spice
Nutty and sweet
- Walnut and almond
- Toffee
- Brown sugar
When these tertiary notes balance with lingering fruit and integrated oak, you have a wine of real harmony. A great Gran Reserva tastes like all three layers speaking at once.
Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva: Spain's Aging Classifications
Spain is one of the few wine countries that labels its red wines by how long they have aged before release. These terms tell you how much time a Tempranillo spent in oak barrels and in bottle, and so which aromas will dominate your glass. Spanish law sets national minimums, and regions like Rioja and Ribera del Duero set stricter rules of their own.
Category | Minimum total aging | Minimum in oak | Style in the glass |
|---|---|---|---|
Joven | None | None (or brief) | Fresh, fruity, primary aromas |
Crianza | 2 years | 1 year (Rioja, Ribera del Duero) | Fruit plus vanilla and spice |
Reserva | 3 years | 1 year | Balanced fruit, oak and early savoury notes |
Gran Reserva | 5 years | 2 years (Rioja, Ribera del Duero) | Silky, complex, tertiary aromas |
Joven: Young and Vibrant
Joven means "young." These wines see little or no oak and are released within a year or so of harvest. In Rioja you may see them labelled Genérico or simply without an aging term. Joven Tempranillo is all about primary aromas: juicy red cherry, strawberry, raspberry, violet and a hint of herbs. Some are made by carbonic maceration, adding soft, playful notes of bubblegum and banana.
Drink it: Lightly chilled, within one to two years, with tapas, pizza, burgers or charcuterie.
Crianza: The Sweet Spot of Fruit and Oak
Crianza means "upbringing" or "nurturing." Under Spanish law a red Crianza must age at least two years before release, with at least six months in oak. Rioja and Ribera del Duero require a full year in barrel. Crianza Tempranillo keeps plenty of red and black fruit but adds secondary aromas of vanilla, coconut, cinnamon and toast. It is often the best-value bottle on the shelf and a perfect everyday Spanish red.
Drink it: Now or within about five years, with roast chicken, lamb chops, chorizo or Manchego cheese.
Reserva: Elegance and Balance
A Reserva must age at least three years, with at least one year in oak. Producers usually make Reserva only in better vintages, from their best grapes. Here the three layers start to meet: ripe and slightly dried fruit, well-integrated oak spice and early tertiary hints of leather, tobacco and earth. Reserva Tempranillo is smooth, structured and very food-friendly.
Drink it: From release to ten years or more, with roast lamb, beef tenderloin, mushroom risotto or aged cheeses.
Gran Reserva: The Pinnacle of Patience
Gran Reserva is reserved for exceptional vintages. These wines must age at least five years before release, with a minimum of 18 months in oak under national law and two years in Rioja and Ribera del Duero. The rest is spent in bottle in the winery's cellar. The result is a silky, layered wine dominated by tertiary aromas: dried cherry, fig, leather, cigar box, forest floor and mushroom, with soft tannins and a long finish. Traditional Rioja Gran Reservas are among the most age-worthy wines in the world, often thriving for 20 years or more.
Drink it: Decant gently to separate any sediment, and serve with slow-roasted lamb, game, truffle dishes or simply on its own.
How to Taste Spanish Tempranillo Like a Pro
The best way to understand Tempranillo is a vertical-style flight: one Joven, one Crianza, one Reserva and one Gran Reserva, ideally from the same region or producer. Taste them from youngest to oldest and notice how the wine changes.
- Look: Watch the colour move from purple-ruby to garnet and brick.
- Smell: Find the primary fruit first, then the oak, then the savoury tertiary notes.
- Taste: Notice how tannins soften from grippy to velvety with age.
- Finish: Older wines usually linger longer and show more layers.
Serving tips: Serve Joven at about 14°C (57°F) and Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva at 16 to 18°C (61 to 64°F). Use a large red wine glass, and give older wines time to breathe.
Perfect Food Pairings for Tempranillo
Tempranillo is one of the most versatile food wines in the world. Classic pairings include roast lamb, jamón ibérico, chorizo, grilled steak, paella with meat, roasted mushrooms, Manchego and other aged sheep's milk cheeses, and smoky barbecue. Its savoury side also loves autumn dishes like braised short ribs and mushroom stew, which makes it a perfect October wine.
Join Us for Tempranillo Month
Spanish Tempranillo is a grape with a story in every bottle: bright fruit from the vineyard, warm spice from the barrel and quiet complexity from years in the cellar. Reading about primary, secondary and tertiary aromas is a great start, but nothing beats tasting them side by side.
All October, High Five Wine Academy members are exploring Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva Tempranillo from Rioja, Ribera del Duero and beyond, with perfectly paired recipes each week.
Ready to taste the difference?
Join the High Five Wine Club today and start your Spanish wine journey this month.
