Tempranillo, Spain’s most important red grape variety, is versatile – capable of producing juicy, red-fruit driven young wines as well as wines that can withstand long ageing periods in oak, gaining complexity with layers of vanilla, leather, tobacco spice and liquorice.
Considered native to Rioja, Tempranillo is now a key variety in Spain’s most prominent wine regions, notably Ribera del Duero where it is known as Tinto Fino, and with its popularity worldwide, Tempranillo is now grown in wine regions across the world.
Scroll down to see the top Tempranillo wines of DWWA 2024
Results from this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) are exemplar of this experimentation and growth of plantings worldwide, with award-winning examples coming from Australia, Argentina and Chile to China, Portugal, Portugal and the US.
Spain, however, remains Tempranillo’s mainstay with over 700 wines – varietal or blended – awarded a medal at DWWA 2024.
The competition’s top-scoring Tempranillo wines come from Castilla, Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Toro, which received the highest accolade, Best in Show, for Bodegas Frontaura, Aponte Plus Tempranillo 2018.
Tempranillo is an authorised grape variety in more than 25 Designations of Origin in Spain. Of these, 12 DOCs consider Tempranillo their main or preferred variety.
To celebrate International Tempranillo Day and narrow a wide and varied list of award-winning Tempranillo wines from the DWWA 2024, we highlight the competition’s 95+ point wines well worth discovering.
DWWA 2024: Top Tempranillo wines
Castilla
Pago Del Vicario, Blanco De Tempranillo, Ciudad Real 2023
Value Gold, 95 points
Radiant strawberries, raspberries and rose petal florals beam and project over the lively freshness of the palate, with a viscous texture and lasting, saline finish. Alc 13%
Ribera del Duero
Bodegas Condado De Haza, Alenza, Gran Reserva 2018
Platinum, 97 points
Wave upon wave of dried herbs, tobacco and redcurrant and blueberry fruit provide interest and intrigue. Decadent and inviting with a succulent leathery texture, a searing tang of acidity and superb belt of velvet tannins. Alc 14.5%
Pago Del Cielo, Celeste, Reserva 2019
Platinum, 97 points
Bounteous summer berries and ice cream undercut by a transfixing allure of cigar box oak, eloquently curtailed by a poise of rapturous acidity and smart, earthy tannins. Extremely well crafted with a long savoury finish. Alc 15%
Bodega Submarina Del Mediterraneo, The Sea Wine Club W01, Crianza 2016
Gold, 96 points
Packed with bright red cherries, sweet spice and smoky oak flavours which linger and swirl over the smooth structure and silky tannins. A wine to keep. Alc 14%
Bodega Doble R, 5 Meses 2022
Value Gold, 95 points
Densely packed Morello cherry, blackberry, blueberry and cassis, serious and muscular. Compact tannins and an expressive mineral seam carries through to the long spicy finish. Alc 13.9%
Bodegas Monastasia, Finca La Mítica Alto Del Fénix, Crianza 2021
Gold, 95 points
Stunning mulberry, fig and sweet vanilla oak aromas, with robust , but well-mannered tannins and a sumptuously fresh acidity. Long with a graphite laden finish. Alc 14.5%
Bodegas Peñafiel, Dominio De Miros 2019
Gold, 95 points
Indulgent black fruit and dark chocolate spice lingers over a charged oak backbone. Broad and structured with supple tannins and zesty acidity. A great evolution lies ahead. Alc 15%
Pago De Los Capellanes, Un Sueño en Las Alturas 2020
Gold, 95 points
Hauntingly poised and perfumed with tightly coiled layers of black fruit, spice and graphite, with a lingering sheen of tannin and acidity. Long and elegant. Alc 15%
Rento, Tempranillo 2018
Gold, 95 points
Intriguing ripe blackberry, damson and sweet cocoa spice carry the suave texture, silky, fine-grained tannins and smoky acidity through to the very long, menthol-infused finish. Alc 15%
41N Boutique Winery & Vineyards, Marcoli 2015
Gold, 95 points
Boldly built and crammed with plum compote, leathery black fruit and sweet spice shrouded in a blanket of fine vanilla oak. Chalky, grainy and beautifully long. Alc 15%
Rioja
Herederos Del Marqués De Riscal, Tapias 2021
Platinum, 97 points
The perfect marriage of finely toasted spicy oak and simmering dark cherry fruit which oozes and swells across the nose and palate. Deeply concentrated, with a crunchy, mouth-filling texture and intense tannins. Full of youthful exuberance. Alc 15.2%
Bodegas Altanza, Artistas Españoles D D Velazquez, Reserva 2011
Gold, 95 points
Very accomplished with a marvellous evolution of charcuterie, cigar leaf and black pepper spice on the nose supported by a velvety textured and profoundly absorbing palate. Alc 14%
Ramón Bilbao, Mirto 2018
Gold, 95 points
Lashings of cranberry, pomegranate and blueberry fruit with a charming tobacco fragrance from the deftly managed oak. Harmonious and complex with a vivid, savoury finish. Alc 14.5%
Bodegas De Familia Burgo Viejo, Reserva 2020
Value Gold, 95 points
Exploding with ripe red cherry, cranberry and plum fruit which hurtles towards the finish, passing the toasty tannins and bracing acidity on its way. Creamy and long. Alc 13.5%
Bodegas Lar De Paula, Edicion Limitada Tempranillo, Crianza 2018
Value Gold, 95 points
Stylish black cherry and ripe plum notes with a sultry lick of macchiato. Beautifully rich and full with crunchy cranberry acidity and a nutmeg finish. Alc 13.5%
Bodegas Sonsierra, El Rincón De Los Galos Viñedo Singular Tempranillo 2018
Gold, 95 points
Intriguing bramble fruit, dates and prunes wrapped in a blanket of inviting tannins and plush, creamy texture and refreshed with a fine bead of acidity. Alc 14.5%
Señorio De Villarrica, Marvellous Number One 2021
Gold, 95 points
Alluring dried cherries, blackberry compote and plums mingle nicely with the smouldering coconut oak core. Very lush and smooth with a long sandalwood-infused finale. Classic. Alc 14.5%
Toro
Bodegas Frontaura, Aponte Plus Tempranillo 2018
Best in Show, 97 points
Few wines in Spain can rival Toro for generosity and robustness, so if you’re looking for a few bottles to acquire to keep the rigours of next winter at bay, this wine will certainly fit the bill. It’s all-but-black in colour, and smells sturdy, too, packed with black fruit, charred vine embers, pounded stone and sweet spices. On the palate, it is dense, textured and powerfully fruity, with ample tannins drenching the wild plum fruits. There’s some sloe-like acidity to add to the wild-forest feel of the wine, and if you wanted to age this bottle there’s every reason to do so; some, indeed, might prefer it with a few calming years under its belt. Others, of course, will love its youthful exuberance and force. Alc 14.5%
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