Tempranillo | Ribera del Duero, Rioja & Vega Sicilia
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Tempranillo

Ribera del Duero and Rioja, including two Vega Sicilia

Tempranillo across Spain's two leading red regions. Ribera del Duero carries most of it - Emilio Moro's Finca Resalso and Malleolus, and Vega Sicilia's Alión and Valbuena 5° from the estate that made Spanish fine wine a serious proposition. Marqués de Murrieta's Reserva is the Rioja reading, softer and longer in oak. Same grape, two very different results. Tracked UK delivery, next-day available.

Marqués de Murrieta Reserva Rioja red wine bottle.
FW Fave
Marques de Murrieta Reserva, Rioja
£27.50
Emilio Moro Malleolus red wine bottle.
FW Fave
Emilio Moro Malleolus, Ribera del Duero
£38.75
Emilio Moro Finca Resalso red wine bottle.
Emilio Moro Finca Resalso, Ribera del Duero (2024)
£15.25
Alión Ribera del Duero red wine bottle.
Alion, Ribera del Duero
£80.00
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5 Red Wine Bottle
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5°, Ribera del Duero (2021)
£160.00
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Ribera del Duero: Tempranillo at altitude

Most of this page is Ribera del Duero, where Tempranillo is known locally as Tinto Fino. The region sits high on the northern plateau, with hot days and nights that drop sharply, and that swing is what gives the reds their concentration without making them soft. Emilio Moro covers the approachable end with Finca Resalso and the fuller Malleolus. Vega Sicilia is the estate that made Spanish fine wine a serious international proposition, and both Alión and Valbuena 5° are here. All of it sits within Spanish wine.

Rioja, and how the same grape differs

Rioja is lower and milder than Ribera, and traditionally ages its wine longer in American oak, which gives a softer and more savoury result. Marqués de Murrieta's Reserva is the classic reading and sits with the smooth and refined reds rather than the bold ones. Reserva is a legal ageing term rather than a marketing one - it requires a minimum period in barrel and a further period in bottle before release.

Serving and keeping Tempranillo

The Ribera del Duero bottles benefit from air - an hour open, or a decanter to speed it along - while the Rioja Reserva has already had its time in barrel and is ready on opening. Serve slightly below room temperature. Both regions produce wine that keeps well, and the Vega Sicilia bottles in particular will hold for a decade or more. The rest of the red wine range covers the other grapes. Tracked UK delivery, next-day available.

The Fulham Wine Co. Take

One grape, two regions, and the difference between them is as clear as any comparison in wine. Ribera del Duero gives you firmness and altitude; Rioja gives you time in barrel and a softer result. Having both on a short list is the point of it. Everything here is a bottle we would open without waiting for a reason.

FAQs About Tempranillo

What is Tempranillo?

Spain's leading red grape and the basis of both Rioja and Ribera del Duero. It gives medium to full-bodied reds with moderate acidity and firm tannin, and it takes oak ageing well, which is why so much Spanish red is aged in barrel before release.

Why does it taste different in Rioja and Ribera del Duero?

Altitude and oak, mostly. Ribera sits higher with a wider swing between day and night temperatures, giving firmer and more concentrated wine. Rioja is milder, and its tradition of long ageing in American oak softens the result and adds a savoury character.

What is Tinto Fino?

The local name for Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero. It refers to a strain of the same grape that has adapted to the region's altitude and climate over a long period. If a Ribera label says Tinto Fino, it means Tempranillo.

What do Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva mean?

They are minimum ageing requirements, not quality ratings. Each step requires longer in barrel and longer in bottle before the wine can be released, with Gran Reserva the longest. They tell you how the wine was handled and roughly how developed it will be on opening.

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