Deep Dive:
Australia’s Best Tempranillo

8 May 2026. Words by YGOW.

Tempranillo is unarguably Spain’s most recognisable variety, forming the bedrock of its most famous red wines. It’s also a variety that has seen recently seen explosive global growth, with more hectares of tempranillo vines planted since 2000 than any other variety, and by a big margin. In Australia, it has made a meaningful mark – and with plantings increasing and a host of new producers working with the variety, there’s a palpable sense that it’s poised to become our next mainstream red wine variety. But what does, or should, Australian tempranillo taste like? And is it as well suited to Australia’s climatic conditions as we’d like to think? Two years after our last Deep Dive on the topic, we thought it was an apt time to come to grips with how this Spanish icon is faring in Australian soil …

We gathered every example of Australian tempranillo that we could find, and set our expert panel the task of finding the wines that compelled the most. All wines were tasted blind, and each panellist named their top six wines.

Our panel: Raquel Jones, vigneron, Weathercraft; Matt Froude, proprietor and winemaker, Municipal; Bonnie Spain, senior sommelier and wine buyer, Navi; Stuart Richardson, proprietor, Seneca Vintners; Eliane Gordon, head sommelier and wine buyer, Rumi and The Rocket Society; Jason Burns, sommelier and wine merchant, City Wine Shop; Sarah Hilliker, sommelier and wine merchant, Bijou; David Murray, owner and wine merchant, Le Tuffeau.

From the Deep Dive

Discover more in The Outtakes below.

The Top Wines

2022 Fighting Gully Road Tempranillo, Beechworth $45 RRP

Richardson and Jones selected this wine among their top six wines of the day. Richardson described “a brooding, high-voltage Tempranillo with a deep pulse of blueberry and redcurrant fruit wrapped in leather, earth and violet perfume. This is not polite, polished wine trying to behave itself – it has swagger. The palate is bold and savoury, with a dusty Iberian edge and a ferrous undertow that gives the fruit real seriousness. Florals lift the darker tones beautifully, keeping the wine from becoming heavy. There’s structure, there’s grip, and there’s attitude. A confident, earthy, leather-jacketed expression that feels both distinctly Australian and unmistakably tempranillo.” Jones noted “this was savoury to the point of shouting. Sarsaparilla, bitter cola and meaty reduction came first – dark, insistent and almost difficult to read – but something lingered beyond the next few wines, making a return feel like unfinished business. With air, it found its shape. Not pretty, exactly – more cathedral gargoyle than ballroom dancer – but strangely magnetic. The palate had fruit, acid and savoury depth in good proportion. Chinotto, cured meat and old-wood spice carried through a clipped, savoury finish. One for scholarly red wine drinkers. Toast sourdough, rub it with garlic and fresh tomato, lay down some jamón – Pata Negra if we’re serious – then settle in with a good book and rain at the window.”

2024 Tar & Roses Tempranillo, Heathcote $30 RRP

Burns and Hilliker chose this wine for their top six picks from the blind tasting. Burns described “this wine really impresses me. While it’s definitely a brighter, fresher style of tempranillo it also offers so much more. In addition to the juicy red berries, maraschino cherry and blood orange, there’s also a generous amount of spicy characters that reminds me of an amaro, as well as a little sweet baking spice. The tannins are very soft, making this a super-approachable wine – but also a wine that is interesting enough to make you ponder. This is a wine that can be enjoyed equally by casual wine lovers and wine professionals.” Hilliker noted “I’m obviously really vibing with the oaky styles of tempranillo! Loads of vanilla and clove right off the bat, with dried violet and iris petals following. Ripe and tart red cherries and strawberry lie underneath, which then give way to a lovely savoury cured-meat finish – think of a good cumin-seed salami. The mouthfeel is velvety smooth, and the tannin profile is super fine and silky, making it feel like a mature example of the variety. This feels decidedly old-school – but in the best possible way.”

2024 Mt. Bera ‘Running with the Cows’ Tempranillo, Adelaide Hills $35 RRP

Gordon and Murray included this wine in their top six wines from the tasting. Gordon described “this wine got me right upfront. Fun and energetic on the nose, with a clean but expressive personality. Engaging and simultaneously serious. I got a ton of Amarena and Morello cherry, like some of my favourite Italian reds, with some black plums to build out the red fruit profile. On the palate I found some spicy notes, mostly star anise and cloves. This wine felt beautifully balanced. I thought this was an excellent example of Australian tempranillo, hitting all the right spots with plump juicy red stone fruits, some warming spice and enough backbone to pair well against a plate of grilled lamb skewers. Would crush at a barbecue!” Murray noted “invitingly ruby-hued, tending violet, this has a bright and focused aromatic profile from first pour. There is crystal clear delineation of anise and tarragon, blood orange, red and black raspberries, black cherry, tangy leather cure, and maduro-grade cigar wrapper – all in array. The palate is full and round, with layered, sheeting tannins presenting in the second half. Cooked orange – reminiscent of Claudia Roden’s famous recipe for orange and almond cake – and crushed raspberry and blackberry, entangled all throughout with complexifying nuances of anise, sage, and oregano.”

2025 Crabtree ‘Watervale’ Estate Tempranillo, Clare Valley $34 RRP

Froude and Burns selected this wine among their top six wines on the day. Froude described “unlucky #13? Not this time. A slightly left-of-centre tempranillo, showcasing lovely vibrant red fruits including pomegranate, cherry and redcurrants, with heaps of sweet spices including clove. The palate is delicate, bright and fresh-fruited, with rhubarb and redcurrant notes and wonderful sweet spices. Lovely fine tannins and excellent length here.” Burns noted “I was immediately captivated by the smell of this fantastically aromatic wine – the fruit leaps out of the glass. The taste of the wine is as the nose leads you to expect: juicy and fresh, with a mix of red and dark berries, red cherry and a hint of cola. I think this wine could easily be just as enjoyable if it were chilled. This is the fun kind of wine that is best paired with good friends in a nice park on a sunny day.”

2024 Saddler’s Creek Wines ‘Saddler’s Tempranillo’, Hilltops $35 RRP

Froude, Jones, and Murray chose this wine for their top six wines from the blind tasting. Froude described “concentrated yet lifted, with blood plum, a complex spice character of clove and nutmeg, and a slight dried herb note of dried sage. The palate is lovely – long, complex and interesting, showing plum, strawberry, raspberry and sweet spices, with fine tannins.” Jones noted “this wine kept its hand up. At first, almost too eager to reward, but even through palate fatigue it was still there, waiting to be called on. A polished, confident Tempranillo with black cherry, baking spice and a dark chocolate edge. The palate is the stronger card: cherry fruit, nutmeg, mocha and dark spice carry evenly, with acidity in check and flavour holding well to the finish. The tannins are slightly sandy but integrated. Smart, balanced and quietly muscular – not bulky, just well built. Bring this to the folks’ place, or to someone whose opinion you properly value. Open it with espresso-rubbed porchetta and roasted brussels sprouts, then attempt to solve world peace before dessert.” Murray found “a vibrant and almost lurid purple-violet in the glass, this wine possesses a notable sense of swagger. Complexity here comes in the form of savoury-and-fruit interplay: classic Provençal garrigue as well as dried sage and fennel seed one the one hand; on the other, Sovereign Hill boiled raspberry lollies, liquorice, and cooked blood plums.”

2021 Tim Adams ‘Ladera’ Tempranillo, Clare Valley $45 RRP

Murray and Richardson included this wine in their top six picks from the tasting. Murray described “a lovely garnet-ruby in the glass with faint brick-orange hints on the near transparent rim. Alluringly savoury, with fruit clearly playing second fiddle to earthy and woodsy aromas. Aeration brings into delineation the fruit behind with lovely balsamic notes underpinning red cherry, dried but not desiccated strawberries and cranberries, and cola bean. The palate is lighter to medium-bodied, silken on entry and throughout with an enlivening spine of acidity which ensures the wine finishes fresh. The conclusion leaves an impression of succulence despite the supporting role fruit plays to the savoury characteristics. A serious wine that invites contemplation – very fine indeed.” Richardson noted “dark, ferrous and magnetic, this wine opens with ironstone, dried orange peel and black cherry before sliding into violets, dried herbs and a quietly dangerous savoury depth. It has the feel of old-world machinery running on new-world electricity – precise, mineral, slightly wild. This is a serious, grown-up tempranillo with a mineral spine, dark aromatic lift and a distinctly nocturnal personality – elegant, edgy and deeply compelling.”

2016 Reillys ‘Dry Land’ Tempranillo (Museum Release), Clare Valley $45 RRP

Hilliker and Murray selected this wine among their top six wines of the day. Hilliker described “one of the first things that struck me about this wine was its sense of poise – it has an almost regal quality to it as it sits in the glass. Stewed rhubarb, toffee apples, red and black cherries and jammy fig notes are all wrapped up in a decent whack of new oak that lends plenty of sweet baking spices to the profile. The acidity and tannins do a lot of work to support this cornucopia of sweet and tart flavours, keeping them in check while also providing a framework for them to shine. Definitely one of the richest wines in the day’s line-up!” Murray noted “garnet-tinged ruby, with a fully opaque core. An initially reserved nose to match, requiring some coaxing to reveal a complex aromatic profile of baked cherries, warm earth, woodshed, biscuit, and hoisin. With air, fresher notes of macerated strawberry and cherry emerge, alongside a trimming of balsam, arnica, reddish cigar wrapper, cardamom, dried peel, turned earth and leather cure. The palate opens with satin feel, softly contoured though with bright acidity bringing focus in the final third. Cherry Ripe, grilled red fruit, and saltbush predominate in an interwoven melange.”

2024 Farmer & the Scientist Tempranillo, Heathcote $35 RRP

Gordon, Burns, and Murray chose this wine for their top six selections from the blind tasting. Gordon described “deeper, more pronounced tempranillo, with intense concentrations of dark plums, bruised raspberries and cassis. Some enjoyable vanilla and spice on the tongue, with a velvety texture – feels like sinking into deep purple velvet cushions in a dark room, with a vanilla candle burning on the table. The ripeness of the fruit helps maintain the balance, as do the polished tannins.” Burns noted “I appreciate the dichotomy of this wine. While the fruit profile is mostly on the darker side of the spectrum – such as blackberry, black cherry and blackcurrant – the wine feels lighter, and the tannins are velvety smooth. There are also some lovely liquorice flavours. If two people were deciding between a pinot noir and a shiraz, this could be a delicious compromise!” Murray found “classically violet-ruby. A generous and open-knit aromatic profile here with soft and ripe cherries and plums mingling with their blossoms. The palate is silken on entry, with fine sense of being chiselled by acidity. Lovely notes of sage and blood orange undercut the fruit, complemented by a pleasantly earthy note of finocchio salami.”

2025 Franca’s Vineyard Tempranillo, Riverland $22 RRP

Richardson and Spain included this wine in their top six wines from the tasting. Richardson described “a clean, sharply defined tempranillo with blackcurrant, sour cherry and earthy savouriness working in tight formation. The fruit has real clarity – dark enough to feel serious, bright enough to stay fresh. Fine, clean tannins give the wine a composed, linear feel, while the earthy undertone adds depth and varietal credibility. It doesn’t shout – it focuses. There is a restrained confidence here, the kind that suggests careful winemaking and strong fruit rather than artifice. Savoury, bright, balanced and polished, this is an intelligent expression with tension, drinkability and quiet authority.” Spain noted “a distinctly Australian expression, opening with lifted aromatics of blueberry, strawberry gum, and red plum, layered with a savoury edge of torched orange rind and toasted coconut. There’s also this fascinating note of berry yogurt when you first smell the wine, very nostalgic of those ports of Petit Miam yogurt from my primary school lunch box! Palate initially introduces you to notes of almost amaro-like bitterness and almond. Subtle hints of eucalyptus, ironstone, and the really pleasant note of River Red Gum sap. Serious in frame yet deeply expressive, it offers plenty to unravel with time. Ultimately, it’s a compelling dinner wine that rewards as it opens, revealing layer upon layer of character.”

2022 Grampians Estate ‘Longest Drive – Arrawatta Vineyard’ Tempranillo, Great Western (Grampians) $30 RRP

Spain selected this wine among her top six picks, describing “this wine has a fairly concentrated nose that initially leans toward this almost Cottee’s red cordial character, but those sweeter notes unfurl into more that of macerated red and black berries and Bravo apple. On the palate, it is particularly compelling, starting off very soft before having this crescendo on the palate, building with both fruit intensity and structural elements. Flavours of red currant and barely ripe strawberry emerge, supported by cocoa-like tannins. The finish is especially engaging, balancing structure and fruit while a driving acidity carries through to the end. With each taste, the wine continues to evolve and layer upon itself, steadily building and truly coming into its own across the palate.”

2023 Mr. Mick by Tim Adams Tempranillo, Clare Valley $19 RRP

Jones chose this wine for her top six wines on the day, noting “a deep, memorable tempranillo with real presence. Dark cherry and dried blackberry sit at the centre, but the savoury detail is what gives it pull: roasted tomato, tobacco leaf muddled with forest floor, and a sarsaparilla-like bitter cola edge. The palate has power without heaviness. Damson plum, curry leaf and roast pan juices move through a firm tannin frame, with acidity keeping everything alive. There’s a darker sweetness beneath the savoury core – more blackstrap molasses than sugar – with quiet old-wood spice adding depth. The finish is long, earthy and quietly muscular. One for the cellar, certainly – but if patience fails, give it air and invite your inner circle over for slow-cooked lamb or goat tagine, charred eggplant, and a suspiciously serious game of Cluedo.”

2024 La Línea Tempranillo, Adelaide Hills $30 RRP

Richardson selected this wine among his top six wines from the blind tasting, describing “a wild, savoury and brilliantly textural wine that leans into the more gastronomic side of tempranillo. Sour cherry leads, but the real intrigue is in the spice and earth: cardamom, tarragon, damp soil, cured meat and chalk. It feels alive, slightly feral, and all the better for it. The tannins are firm and chalky, giving the wine a muscular frame and a dry, food-hungry finish. This is not glossy, crowd-pleasing tempranillo – it’s characterful, savoury, complex and a little dangerous. A wine with bones, blood, and brains.”

2024 Storm King Wine Co. Tempranillo, Granite Belt $45 RRP

Froude and Richardson included this wine in their top six picks from the tasting. Froude described “complex, lifted and super interesting. Red-fruited including wild raspberry, strawberry and cherry, with sweet spice and musk notes. The palate is super complex with powdery tannins and excellent length and great fruit weight showing an menagerie of red fruits.” Richardson noted “a beautifully composed wine built on juicy blackcurrant, savoury iron and silky restraint. There is generosity here, but no excess. The fruit is polished and dark, moving through the palate with impressive flow, while fine tannins stitch everything together with quiet authority. The iron note gives it shape and seriousness, preventing the wine from becoming merely plush. This is tempranillo in a tailored black suit – sleek, confident, textural and controlled. The mouthfeel is a major strength – smooth, poised and persistent. A sophisticated, savoury, and finely judged expression with real class.”

2023 Myattsfield Vineyards Tempranillo, Perth Hills $28 RRP

Murray chose this wine for his top six wines of the day, noting “a playfully lurid violet with amply density of colour at its core, this wine soars from the glass with aromas of sweet red fruit – including cherries and red plum – and bay laurel that wrap around a blood orange–tinctured graphite core. This profile is complemented by nuances of cherry blossom, liqueur touches, and wet clay. Touches of pepper and garam marsala lend complexity to the overall impression. The palate is softly contoured, kept in shape by a mineral edge along with fine cut of acidity. The feel overall is one of elegance. With time, notes of clementine jelly and orange peel develop, then further fresh strawberry including the whites alongside sage and sweet black cherry. A most enjoyable example of Australian tempranillo – very fine.”

2024 Three Dams Estate Tempranillo, Heathcote $32 RRP

Hilliker selected this wine among her top six wines from the blind tasting, describing “this wine is not content to wait to be tasted. The aromas leap out of the glass the moment it’s given a swirl – sweet rosewater, pink geraniums, red cherries and plums. Then these dark, brooding savoury tones swoop in to add complexity – toasted bay leaf and fenugreek, flint, and a touch of petrichor. As I was tasting, the final notes I wrote on this wine were simply ‘Balanced, elegant. YES PLS!!’ – and I think that about says it all.”

2025 Kalleske ‘Dodger’ Single Vineyard Tempranillo, Barossa Valley $30 RRP

Froude and Jones chose this wine for their top six wines on the day. Froude described “super-lifted, yet complex and brooding, showing dark cherry and some jujube notes, alongside nutmeg and delicate sandalwood spice. Delicate on the palate, with super-fine tannins, showing rhubarb characters. Wonderful length and weight, and a sweet- fruited finish.” Jones noted “the joyful one. Fresh, lighter-framed and completely comfortable being delicious. Cherry, pomegranate and sugar plum lead the way, lifted by a faint herbal edge that keeps the fruit lively rather than simple. Leather, cocoa powder and chocolate add just enough grown-up detail. The palate is bright and juicy, with red fruit, fine tannins and a gentle acid line. Nothing feels extracted or forced. The finish isn’t especially long, but honestly, no great tragedy. This wine wins on freshness, ease and sheer usefulness. Serve slightly chilled, outside, with peri-peri chicken or simply a box of BBQ Shapes by the campfire. Tempranillo for the all-season drinker.”

2025 Elemental by Weathercraft Tempranillo, King Valley $28 RRP

Gordon selected this wine among her top six picks from the blind tasting, describing “more of a bright and blue-fruited style here. I got tart red plums, juicy blackberries, raspberries, and even some zingy sumac for spice. To taste I found some herbal notes, mostly blackberry leaf and tomato leaf. There’s maybe more than a smidge of biting acidity making this wine feel racy, but this softens off after a moment and brings the wine to a gentler finish. I would love to try this with a Middle Eastern spread and see how it shines against some hot fresh falafel.”

2024 Ferngrove ‘Estate Reserve’ Tempranillo, Frankland River (Great Southern) $27 RRP

Spain chose this wine for her top six wines from the tasting, noting “my initial note when I tasted this was simply, ‘Oh fuck, that’s something’, which honestly, I wish all my tasting notes could be as simple as that, but alas. Honestly though, what a joy of a wine. Bursting with raspberry and red currant, structured with pink pepper and strawberry leaf and an underlying depth of blueberry compote, maple, and a touch of cinnamon. The fruit is bright and unctuous, which allows the tannins, which are quite in-your-face and intense, to ease off the palate and make the wine feel like it isn’t just weighing you down. There’s definitely plenty to chew on, but it still has that irresistible drinkability that makes you want to keep going back for another sip. Crying out for something rich and indulgent, and right now I have Brillat-Savarin in the fridge at home and I just want to take this home and eat that while drinking this.”

2024 Mallee Estate Tempranillo, Riverland $16 RRP

Burns included this wine in his top six wines of the day, describing “this punchy-yet-refreshing wine is a joy to drink. Lots of juicy ripe berry fruit and dark cherries, combined with lots of sweet baking spice. Such amazing concentration in this wine, and all the flavours just work so beautifully well together from start to finish. The tannins are like silk. I think this wine would be amazing with many different styles of Asian cuisine – as it’s unlikely to be overshadowed by any rich or spicy dishes.”

2025 El Desperado Tempranillo, Langhorne Creek $21 RRP

Spain selected this wine among her top six wines on the day, describing “the wine opens with red plum skin, lemon pith, and a touch of fresh turmeric, leading into a fresh, vibrant, slightly playful nose. On the palate, it’s all about bright, lively flavours such as fresh orange, raspberry, strawberry leaf, and a hint of purple sage. It’s not the most structured or serious wine, but it’s well balanced, with just the right amount of concentration for its weight, so it never feels thin or wishy-washy. This is definitely more of a ‘drinker than a thinker’, perfect for an autumn afternoon with a boatload of bresaola and maybe a few sweet treats on the side. It’s also versatile enough to carry through to richer pasta dishes or spicy braised short rib. Although I’m not the biggest fan of lamb, I don’t think that would go too far astray.”

2024 Curtis Family Vineyards Small Batch Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $80 RRP

Burns and Hilliker chose this wine for their top six picks from the tasting. Burns described “this wine is a bright, lifted, and elegant expression of tempranillo. It’s more red-fruit driven, with flavours of red cherry and rhubarb, but also has a pleasant leafy element reminiscent of fresh herbs. The tannins are fine and well integrated. Overall, the wine is very well balanced and a great example of a wine that offers exactly the right doses of both seriousness and fun. This wine would be extremely versatile in terms of food pairings – but I immediately thought of cured meats and cheeses.” Hilliker noted “another big oaky boy – surprise! This wine also feels like it has a bit more age on it. This feels opulent and lavish, a slightly over the top ‘treat yourself’ kind of wine. The floral profile is decidedly purple and slightly candied – sugar-crusted violet and iris petals alongside sugar-poached magnolia blossom. It’s a very beautiful combination that really holds my attention. The oak profile here is toastier, like toffee and good brown caramel. The acid and tannin are powerful but not overbearing, and really help to cut through the combination of sweet flavours that dance showily around in the glass.”

2022 DiGiorgio Tempranillo, Limestone Coast $31 RRP

Gordon selected this wine among her top six wines from the blind tasting, describing “perfectly balanced between ready-to-bite red and luscious purple fruit. More Morello and Amarena cherry here – did I mention those are favourite flavours of mine? – with lush Queen Garnet plums. A bit more zingy acidity keeping my mouth watering, with enough tannin to hold it together. Sits slightly lifted and vibrant in the mouth. This wine tiptoes brilliantly between fruit and structure, alcohol and acid.”

2024 Linear Tempranillo, Hilltops $32 RRP

Jones chose this wine for her top six wines on the day, noting “this wine was a little overpowered by others in the bracket at first, but instinct put it on the revisit list – and instinct was right. It is still coming together, but the bones are good. Black cherry, wood smoke, vanilla and bay leaf give it a traditional feel, with liquorice and clear ageing potential. The palate is intense but controlled. Fruit, oak and savoury detail are all present, even if they haven’t fully meshed yet. Alcohol sits neatly in line, avoiding the heat or over-extraction that showed in some others. The oak makes itself known without taking over. One of the few wines in the line-up that felt strongly, confidently Tempranillo. More than the sum of its parts, even while those parts are still learning how to sit together. Pair with a Spanish ploughman’s lunch: Manchego, Cabrales or goat’s blue, membrillo, olives, anchovies, roasted peppers and guindillas. A table like that gives every part of the wine somewhere to land – fruit, smoke, salt and spice – even if the wine is still growing into its frame.”

2021 Paracombe Tempranillo, Adelaide Hills $25 RRP

Hilliker included this wine in her top six picks from the tasting, describing “my immediate impression of this wine was just how savoury the nose is! Fresh bay leaf, dill, and sage get your mouth watering. The flavour profile is decidedly complex, with something new to find in every sip – chinotto, caperberries, freshly cracked black pepper, and tilled soil, with a nice little floral lift of fresh violet and lavender, plus some oaky spice too, just for good measure. I really love how intertwined the savoury and sweet components are in this wine. They aren’t fighting each other for pole position – they hold each other up to make a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts.”

2024 Il Cattivo Tempranillo, Adelaide Hills $32 RRP

Gordon chose this wine for her top six wines from the blind tasting, describing “tangy cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, and cassis are all here, showing off a young and fresh style of Tempranillo. The fruit in this wine feels only just-ripe, which stops the berry flavours from overwhelming. Some drying tea-like tannins alongside less fruit sweetness keep it brisk. Lighter texture, probably due to a fully stainless steel fermentation and aging, allowing the fruity characteristics to be the main event.”

2023 Delatite Estate Tempranillo (10% Graciano), Upper Goulburn $48 RRP

Jones selected this wine among her top six wines of the day, noting “a quieter wine at first, but one that kept calling you back. Roasted tomato, raisin, earth, cola and coconut are all there, with a balsamic lift that could have gone sideways but instead gives the wine energy. The palate has a sweet-savoury tension that makes it interesting rather than obvious. There’s dried fruit and earthy warmth, but enough lift to keep it moving. It feels characterful, not polished to death. A touch of terracotta dust and balsamic brightness shapes the finish – earthy, lifted and a little off-centre in the best way. Not a wham-bam wine. More of a ‘why do I keep thinking about that?’ wine. Pair with pan-fried chorizo, a tomato tart with attitude, garlic mushrooms, or a long lunch that gets progressively less sensible.”

2024 The Hedonist Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $30 RRP

Spain chose this wine for her top six selections from the tasting, describing “a densely expressive wine with notes of tea-like tannin, black plum, walnut shell, and a touch of hot chocolate. The palate feels generous and almost luscious in a good way, packed with ripe fruit and plenty of intensity. The tannins are ripe and nicely integrated, giving it structure without getting in the way. There’s a subtle herbal amaro note on the back, along with an earthy edge of beetroot and blackcurrant leaf. It’s the kind of wine that’s begging for roasted vegetables or a proper roast, where it can really show off its depth and concentration.”

2024 Hastwell & Lightfoot Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $30 RRP

Froude included this wine in his top six wines on the day, describing “concentrated with lovely red fruits including cherry and wild strawberry and lots of savoury spice and just a hint of cab-mac character. Lovely on the palate, super-fresh and salivating, with cherry, strawberry and clove spice framed by powdery tannins. While this is a wine whose striking freshness makes me salivate now, I’d love to see this wine a couple of years down the track – as is the case with many of the wines in the category, I think it would really benefit from ageing.”

2025 Mallee Estate ‘µ’ Tempranillo, Riverland $22 RRP

Richardson selected this wine among his top six picks from the blind tasting, describing “a luminous, seductive tempranillo with compote strawberry, bright blue fruits and a mouthfeel that glides. This is the most immediately charming of the group – but it’s far from simple. The fruit is vivid and plush without being overblown, carried by fine, smooth tannins that give the wine polish and length. There is a silky confidence to the palate – bright, supple and effortlessly drinkable – with just enough savoury tension to keep it grounded. A sleek, modern expression that feels generous, stylish and highly accomplished. It’s pure pleasure, but with structure underneath the velvet.”

2024 Shut the Gate ‘For Love’ Single Site Tempranillo, Hilltops $35 RRP

Spain chose this wine for her top six wines from the tasting, noting “the nose immediately hits you with the smell of fresh potting soil and coconut fibre, in all the best ways possible! Hints of rose petals and pink lavender just really build on the earthy aromatics that one straight away noticeable. There’s also a hint of ripe blueberry and freshly grated cinnamon on the nose as well that hints that the refresher fruit on the palate. An earthy, savoury drive on the palate with hints of black sesame, toasted star anise and walnut creating the structure and drive in the glass, and swells of blood orange and red plum fleshing everything out. An easy sipper in my opinion, although heaps of discover and unravel if you want, but whack some pork in front of this bad boy, or even something more gamey like kangaroo or venison, and you are in for an absolute treat.”

2024 Red Knot by Shingleback ‘Classified’ Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $20 RRP

Froude included this wine in his top six wines of the day, describing “super-delicate and lifted, with lovely red fruits of cherry and strawberry, nutmeg spice and musk notes. Red fruits and spice with fine tannins on the palate highlight the character of delicately-handled tempranillo. It was great to see many tempranillo’s in the line up such at this one handled with delicacy and minimal winemaking influence.”

2023 Angullong ‘Fossil Hill’ Tempranillo, Orange $30 RRP

Burns selected this wine among his top six wines on the day, noting “a relatively light-bodied and zippy expression of tempranillo, showing primary flavours of black cherries and liquorice, alongside some plum and blackberry. There’s also some amaro-like spice, and a subtle mineral character … I’m getting Beaujolais vibes from this wine rather than Rioja! This would be a great pairing with steak tartare.”

2024 Bec Hardy ‘Lot 94 BSR’ Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $38 RRP

Gordon chose this wine for her top six picks from the tasting, describing “intense dark fruits, with laser-focused cherry juice, cranberry and plum. Some gravel and crushed rose petals round out the bouquet. Grippy tannins and slightly higher acidity make this a dry mouthful. I thought this might have been a slightly older vintage, but on reflection I think that this wine had a heavier press, giving it more extraction and more intense colour and grip from the more bruised grape skins. Deep, dark and powerful.”

2022 Delatite Reserve Tempranillo, Upper Goulburn $80 RRP

Hilliker included this wine in her top six wines from the blind tasting, describing “the first thing that sprung to my mind when first smelling and tasting this wine was a really nice, thick piece of crusty white toast, with plenty of salty butter and raspberry jam. Such a sudden and nostalgic image! There’s a yummy little sweet and sour hit of rhubarb here too, with some spiced morello cherry and slightly under-ripe purple plum sweetened with a cheeky drizzle of maple syrup. There’s a little bit of something blue to this wine as well – I just can’t for the life of me put my finger on what it is! Not quite blueberry or blue raspberry, but somewhere in that ballpark. A little touch of dill and thyme sneak in the back, but they’re just playing a supporting role this time. I just can’t stop thinking about toast now – I know what I’m having for breakfast tomorrow!”

The backstory

Tempranillo is unarguably Spain’s most recognisable variety, forming the bedrock of its most famous red wines. It’s also a variety that has seen recently seen explosive global growth, with more hectares of tempranillo vines planted since 2000 than any other variety, and by a big margin. In Australia, it has made a meaningful mark – and with plantings increasing and a host of new producers working with the variety, there’s a palpable sense that it’s poised to become our next mainstream red wine variety. But what does, or should, Australian tempranillo taste like? And is it as well suited to Australia’s climatic conditions as we’d like to think?

Tempranillo goes by a wide variety of names on the Iberian peninsula – including tinto fino, tinta del país, cencibel and ull de llebre in Spain, and aragonês and tinta roriz in Portugal. Its best known name literally translates from Castilian Spanish as ‘little early one’ – from temprano, ‘early’. While some Spanish folk tales claim that the variety is related to pinot noir – supposedly introduced to Spain by Cistercian monks walking the Camino de Santiago – DNA profiling has discovered that it is a natural cross between the relatively rare white variety albillo mayor and a nearly-extinct variety known as benedicto. Globally, tempranillo has had the biggest growth of any variety since 2000 – more than shiraz/syrah, more than cabernet sauvignon. But unlike those grapes, tempranillo’s rise has been almost solely in its homeland, with Spain’s plantings increasing by almost 115,000 hectares to 2016, while only another 10,000 hectares are claimed by the rest of the world combined, with Australia accounting for a relatively modest but nonetheless meaningful portion of that growth.

Above: Tempranillo on the vine. Opposite: Bush-vine tempranillo in its homeland of Rioja, Spain.

As the name suggests, tempranillo grapes often ripen two weeks earlier than other Spanish red varieties, even though its buds burst into flower somewhat later than most others. This earlier ripening – something generally associated with cool-climate grapes – sits at odds with the casual view of Spain and its wine regions as being uniformly hot. But despite the clichéd images of sun beating down on cracked red earth and matadors death-dancing in the dust with bulls, Spain is far from homogenous, with a great variety of climatic conditions – and the same can be said for its wine regions, from coastal to continental to distinctly mountainous, and from baking hot to distinctly cool.

The new king of Spanish varieties

Understanding that diversity within Spain’s growing regions is key to understanding the vast differences in quality between different Spanish expressions of tempranillo. Scott Wasley, who imports Spanish wine to Australia via his company The Spanish Acquisition, characterises the best sites for tempranillo as those that are similar to its traditional strongholds in Rioja and Ribera del Duero – two regions that he describes as “high altitude, with cold nights and free-draining, poor mineral soils”. While both regions can get quite hot, the cool nights given by altitude and distance from the moderating influences of the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea help this typically low-acid variety to retain its freshness, as well as building flavour and thickening skins to provide colour and tannic structure to the finished wines. “These conditions assist tempranillo in a) ripening and b) retaining natural acidity,” Wasley says. “In the best places in Spain, you get naturally acid-fresh and ripe tempranillo with character.” Although it’s It is hard to generalise about the style of the wines from the two regions – such is the variety of localised climate and conditions – in broad brushstrokes, the wines of Ribera tend to more fruit density and concentration, while the wines of Rioja tend more to red-fruited mid-weight styles, with notable savoury detail.

Above: Scott Wesley of The Spanish Acquisition. Opposite: A panorama of Ribera del Duero.

By contrast, he says that elsewhere in Spain it struggles to achieve greatness. “As cencibel, its nickname in Penedès, for example – there, it’s a low-acid, soft grape that needs to be blended with quite often with cabernet, or fake-acidified. It’s basically a bullshit grape.” If tempranillo is only suited to certain Spanish climates, why is it so widely planted? Wasley argues that tempranillo’s current position as Spain’s most-planted red wine variety needs to be understood in the context of two historical waves of expansion: “The first expansion of tempranillo is a response to what I’ve always called the ‘abandonment era’,” he says. “Spanish regions had to abandon their local grapes and best practice, which is all high-input, to get easy kilos – because they’re busted-arse poor, working in co-ops in the Franco and post-Franco years. So, tempranillo expands like chardonnay and merlot across Spain – and like palomino in Galicia – just to give easy kilos for co-op growing. So now you’ve got this legacy of tempranillo being planted in places that it doesn’t suit.” This has been compounded by a second expansion, which he argues is exemplified by recent developments in Rioja, where tempranillo had traditionally been used as a blending variety: “Rioja has had a massive increase in tempranillo planting – volumetrically, and also in terms of market share,” he says. “If we just talk about red grapes in Rioja, the historical planting ratio was roughly 70:30 tempranillo to garnacha, ignoring some very minor grape varieties. Nowadays, it’s worse than 90:10.” This, in turn, comes from the commercial imperatives of a globalised wine marketplace “All of that growth in tempranillo is basically the Sainsburys-isation of Rioja’s commercial view of itself,” Wasley says, referring to a UK supermarket chain that sells enormous quantities of cheap Rioja. “All of this is what [influential Rioja producer] Álvaro Palacios calls ‘viral tempranillo’ – by which he means clonal tempranillo from nurseries. Easy to grow, disease-resistant, characterless stuff growing on trellisses just making easy bubble-gum wine.” (He likewise draws a distinction between the old vines of tinto fino – as the local genotype of tempranillo is called – in Ribera del Duero and more recent plantings of this ‘viral tempranillo’ in the wake of the broader wine world discovering the region in the 1990s.)

“In the best places in Spain, you get naturally acid-fresh and ripe tempranillo with character. But in places like Penedès it’s a low-acid, soft grape that needs to be blended with quite often with cabernet, or fake-acidified. It’s basically a bullshit grape.”

Wasley says that his relationship to tempranillo has changed as his company developed and he learned more about the lesser-known varieties of Spain. “When I started [The Spanish Acquisition, in 2001], I thought Spain’s most interesting idea is tempranillo – I might sell a bit of fizz, a bit of fino, a bit of PX, a bit of whatever, but tempranillo would be king,” he says. “But that’s all the voice from deep in the abandonment era when all of Spain’s other good things had disappeared. There was no mencía. There basically wasn’t any albariño, and certainly groovy things like mandó, callet, and moristel – and lots of the other things that have come back –weren’t on anybody’s radar back then.” He adds, “So on the one on the one hand, tempranillo remains the most evident of things – and yet in in real context, its significance is diminished.” Part of the shift in Spain has been not only a renewed interest in formerly obscure grape varieties and forgotten viticultural traditions, but also change in how oak influence in the finished wines are perceived. Historically, wines for Rioja were aged in American oak for lengthy periods – a minimum of three years for ‘Reserva’ and five for ‘Gran Reserva’, often more – producing wines that were marked by both sweet fruit and spice along with earthy, leathery tones. But even in modern Ribera and Rioja there is now more of a middle ground, with wines leaning on fruit purity with soils and climatic nuances speaking most loudly. “Tempranillo and Rioja has two completely different realities,” he concludes. “There are the good village-based producers who are not oak fetishists, who have a high-level proclivity to blend, versus the high-market-growth, oak and chemicals and whatever model that is the more visible – but far less interesting – face of Rioja.”

Tempranillo comes to Australia

In Australia, with nearly 750 hectares of tempranillo planted up to the 2019 vintage, the variety has more than a decent foothold – its plantings are roughly 300 hectares more than sangiovese, which presents as a more established alternative variety in this country. In 2009, that figure was 350 hectares – so it more than doubled in just a decade. It’s now planted across many regions, from the hot and arid to the notably chilly. But it’s fair to say that the variety’s rise here has not been a quick one, with its presence first documented over 100 years ago.

When François de Castella was appointed Victorian State Viticulturist in 1907, one of his main tasks was to revitalise an industry that had been crippled by phylloxera. And perhaps no more impactfully than in Rutherglen, where very successful commercial vineyards had been all but wiped out by that time. De Castella, who had trained in Switzerland, toured Europe in search of suitable vines for the often-harsh Australian climate – a project that is being mirrored today, with climate-apt varieties a strong focus for growers, especially in warmer zones where traditional varieties can now struggle. Those propagated cuttings were then grafted onto American rootstocks, which are resistant to the vine louse. That collection of vine material, brought home to the Rutherglen College in 1908, famously brought durif to the region – but De Castella also imported tempranillo. While durif became synonymous with Rutherglen, tempranillo never got a notable foothold, or at least a documented one, and the economic slide that quickened into the Great Depression and two world wars, coupled with a declining interest in table wines, seemed to erase what tempranillo there was.

Above: Mark Walpole of Fighting Gully Road – a modern champion of Australian tempranillo.

Tempranillo’s rise in Australia owes much to Mark Walpole of Fighting Gully Road – 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 tempranillo’s traditional Riojan blending partner 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 sixteen-hectare planting focused on alternative grapes, including a nursery block of some sixty varieties.

“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.”

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.

Viticultural matters

Erl and Ros Happ also planted tempranillo in Margaret River in 1994 – along with twenty-seven other less-familiar French, Italian and Spanish varieties. That material was obtained from the Western Australian Department of Agriculture – which is the same clone imported in 1964, otherwise known as the Requena clone, as it was sourced from Requena in Valencia, where tempranillo is traditionally a minor grape. Viticulturist Lee Haselgrove worked with that same clone in his former role at Frankland River’s Swinney vineyard – as, at that stage it was the only one available locally. “It’s a bit like the upright clone of pinot noir,” he says. “You think it’s okay until you taste [pinot noir clones] 115 or 777. You’ve got to work really hard to get tannin and character into it. If you haven’t got great genetics, you’ve got to work really hard to get a good result.” Swinney’s two and a half hectares of tempranillo are trained as bush vines, an uncommon sight for the variety in this country, but it’s yielded striking results. “It’s really hard to grow when young,” Haselgrove reflected, noting that with time the free standing bush vines found really good shape. “It’s hard work as a bush vine, but it’s the best tempranillo fruit I’d grown.”

Above: Lee Haselgrove (on right) in the Swinney vineyard with owner Matt Swinney (on left). Opposite: Prue Henschke in the vineyard.

For Prue Henschke, the material they planted from UC Davis in their Eden Valley vineyard in 2003 was originally intended as a pivot away from the full and rich red styles of the day to more savoury wines, but a deepened familial interest in the grape (one of Prue and Stephen Henschke’s daughters-in-law is Spanish, with a family connection to a Ribera producer) saw her dig deeper. A dissatisfaction with the high-yielding vines led Henschke to investigate importing their own material. Along with a couple of Adelaide Hills growers, they sourced new material, with it cleared from quarantine in 2012. That importation consisted of three clones – selected with the help of a Spanish winemaker and researcher who had worked with the Henschkes in 2008 – and the results are looking promising, though Henschke stresses that the vines are still very young, with only a small portion of fruit making it into the wines over the last handful of vintages. “We’re seeing a much better bunch structure,” she says, “without the huge yields, or rather the huge variations in yields, we see with the Davis clones. The old clones are very vigorous, huge leaves the size of dinner plates, there’s such a difference. And the flavours are really good, with that lovely, savoury prune character. It’s more tempranillo-like, where one of the old clones has an incredibly floral overtone – it’s really interesting to see the difference.”

“You’ve got to work really hard to get tannin and character into it. If you haven’t got great genetics, you’ve got to work really hard to get a good result.”

For Haselgrove, picking decisions are just as important as the viticultural approach. He recalls in his time at Swinney, his harvest time was dictated by working closely with their contract customers, who all have differing opinions, meaning the harvest occurs over a two-week period, longer even. “My personal preference is for the earlier picks,” he says. “They’re much fresher and brighter. The later picks tend to be more dry-red-like. When it’s just ripe, it’s about twelve-and-a-bit [potential alcohol]. Andries [Mostert, Brave New Wine] and [A. J.] Hoadley [of La Violetta], that’s when they pick it, and it’s really delicious. As he won’t add anything later, Andries only picks on acidity, rather than waiting for some point in the future when the tannins are ripe, or something like that.”

The acid test

Mostert’s approach points to a key issue with tempranillo. An acidity deficit is a perpetual issue when growing and making this early-ripening variety – one of the reasons that the high-acid graciano is traditionally blended into wines from Rioja. “The variety’s naturally low acidity and high pH make winemaking a challenge even in cooler regions,” says Walpole. “As well as only having three to four grams of acid at harvest, half of this is malic. So, [acid] additions of up to five grams per litre either at the crusher or during fermentation are not uncommon.” Those additions are to avoid microbial/yeast spoilage and to avoid adding acid to the finished wine, but Walpole notes that much of it precipitates out during fermentation. But the new clones, which Walpole has planted some of at his Fighting Gully Road Vineyard in Beechworth, are proving to be a different proposition: “There’s quite a remarkable difference,” he says. “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.”

Above: Clone 261 of tempranillo in the Yalumba nursery. Opposite: Bush vine tempranillo in the Swinney vineyard.

Walpole sees the newer clones as being more successful in warmer zones, but equally as apt for cooler regions, like his. But he also notes that the old clones already perform well enough when managed properly. “When you think of Spain, while most good examples come from Ribera or Rioja at higher elevation, the variety clearly grows well across a huge range of climates and seems to do well,” he says. Henschke takes a firmer line. “When you look at where the best tempranillo vineyards are in Spain, they’re in higher rainfall and higher altitude sites,” she says. “It’s not a warm region variety, which was the assumption everyone made in the early 2000s.” Walpole says, “I think we can definitely say where it doesn’t perform well, and that is anywhere wet or on deep soil; it needs some conditions to temper the growth and berry size.” He notes that controlling vigour and yield are key quality drivers, with choice of clone, the site itself, and vineyard management all key to making high-quality wine.

“When you think of Spain, while most good examples come from Ribera or Rioja at higher elevation, the variety clearly grows well across a huge range of climates and seems to do well.”

The suitability to site is a critical one, and it’s something that Raquel Jones of Beechworth’s Weathercraft spent much time deliberating over. “I looked at clones from Toro and Rioja, as well as Ribera,” she says. “It came down to our specific site, to our rainfall and daily temperatures. So, we tried to match it as best as possible. I worked with Nick Dry from Yalumba Nursery at the time, and we worked down from about six clones to four, then the three from Ribera that I grafted.” Jones even travelled to Spain to observe the performance of different clones in Ribera de Duero. “I’ve been very fortunate to taste those clones in situ overseas,” she says, “and they are very different here in Australia. And that’s the thing about tempranillo: stylistically it’s very diverse. We have very different soil types across the vineyard, so I chose the clones based on vigour and how well they worked under pressure from the local conditions. It’s been very interesting to see how they have grown and how the express in the winery.”

While tempranillo has established itself in Australia already, there is little doubt for Walpole that the future growth of the Australia market and its enhancement as a quality grape is anchored in this experimentation of new vine material in different sites. “There’s a real opportunity to raise the bar as the new clones start to come out, to make some really serious styles,” he says. “I think it does have a home here in Australia,” agrees Jones. “I think a lot of people don’t know how to grow it, and I know I’m still learning about it. There’s definitely potential for some really high-quality tempranillo here.”

Above: Our expert panel gathered at the Bleakhouse Hotel, Albert Park (Melbourne).

Outtakes from the tasting

We gathered every example of Australian tempranillo that we could find, and set our expert panel the task of finding the wines that compelled the most. All wines were tasted blind, and each panellist named their top six wines.

Raquel Jones, vigneron, Weathercraft; Matt Froude, proprietor and winemaker, Municipal; Bonnie Spain, senior sommelier and wine buyer, Navi; Stuart Richardson, proprietor, Seneca Vintners; Eliane Gordon, head sommelier and wine buyer, Rumi and The Rocket Society; Jason Burns, sommelier and wine merchant, City Wine Shop; Sarah Hilliker, sommelier and wine merchant, Bijou; David Murray, owner and wine merchant, Le Tuffeau.

Jones commenced the discussion by observing the impact that new genetic material has had on the quality and interest of Australian tempranillo. “I think people have definitely become a lot more excited with some of the newer clones – because you can really see those in that line-up,” she said. “People are probably finding it a lot more rewarding to make tempranillo with those new clones.” She chalked part of this excitement up to the fact that many of the newer clones were sourced from Ribera del Duero: “In Ribera, the temperature differences between highest and lowest are massive,” she said. “So those particular clones hold acidity a lot better than other clones have in the past … the pH remains not supremely low, but low enough that there is a balance.” She added, “I think Ribera clones lend themselves more to making in a way that’s expressive, without too much input – they express themselves because they’re just good at it kind. Whereas with Rioja clones, you have to sort of work at it.”

Above: Bonnie Spain. Opposite: Raquel Jones.

Spain argued that clonal material was only part of the picture, and that vine age and training methods were equally as important to consider. “Historically, in Ribera, it was definitely all goblet,” she said, referring to a method of training vines without trellising or cordon wires. “They were all tiny-tiny, really short, lower to the ground, so they’re getting that nice radiation in the evening, even though it’s such a massive drop in temperature. But they’re lower yielding. They really concentrate everything they can into the little bunches that these bush vines produce. And that’s the thing with [Peter Sisseck’s famous Ribera wine] Pingus – those vines are eighty-nine years old.”

“I think people have definitely become a lot more excited with some of the newer clones – because you can really see those in that line-up. People are probably finding it a lot more rewarding to make tempranillo with those new clones.”

Discussion of Pingus and other famous tempranillo-based wines of Ribera and Rioja lead Burns to observe that the wines on display in the lineup were radically different in terms of weight and concentration. “I don’t know what the winemakers were thinking, but presumably they’re tailoring it a little bit to the market,” he said. “I saw a lot of lighter, juicier, brighter styles that are more suited to someone who’s still new to wine or looking for a ‘park wine’ – something that’s just really enjoyable, but not blowing you away with its complexity, something you enjoy and guzzle.”

Above: Jason Burns. Opposite: Sarah Hilliker.

Hilliker agreed, but added that this wasn’t so much a function of the variety as a function of the current market: “I think the market still screams for those joven or Beaujolais Nouveau styles, regardless of the variety or the producer,” she said. Spain added that these styles made sense for makers: “We’re in a time where winemakers need turnover,” she said. “Not everyone has the luxury of time for extensive ageing.” To this, Hilliker responded, “Also, customers need affordable options because of the cost of living crunch.”

“We’re in a time where winemakers need turnover. Not everyone has the luxury of time for extensive ageing.”

Burns argued that this focus on fresher, more approachable, and less complex styles of tempranillo wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “It can be an introduction for young people into wine,” he said. “When people are eighteen, nineteen, in their early twenties – because you want to you want to win that market, you start with the approachable styles. Then you can work their way up to the big, tannic, oaky numbers.”

Above: Matt Froude. Opposite: David Murray.

Murray said, “It seems to me that tempranillo is sometimes approached as a blank slate for vinification in Australia. It’s really too early to tell whether serious wines – no matter the stylistic background or winemaking philosophy – will be produced. Quality levels aside, most of these wines were made in an early drinking style. This would appear to be the result of high-yield cropping, and early-release mentality – which is most probably caused by a difficult market and the need to see wines poured at venues.” He added, “I see this as detrimental to tempranillo’s reputation. The wines that stood out to me were – regardless of whether or not they looked like Rioja or Ribera – made in a serious fashion and held good concentration and length on the palate, with the best examples possessing complexity as well.”

“The wines that stood out to me were – regardless of whether or not they looked like Rioja or Ribera – made in a serious fashion and held good concentration and length on the palate, with the best examples possessing complexity as well.”

Froude was surprised that there weren’t more wines in the lineup that had richer fruit profiles and obvious oak influence. “Obviously, tempranillo depends significantly on the environment where you grow it – cool-climate, warm-climate, or what have you – but I was expecting more warm-climate wines and more oak character in the line-up,” he said. “I was surprised with how many lighter, more elegant examples there were – and actually really pleasantly surprised by that.”

Opposite: Eliane Gordon. Above: Stuart Richardson.

Jones agreed, adding, “I think people have stayed away from oak. It’s expensive. And I don’t think you really need it when it comes to tempranillo, because if you can get enough extraction from post-alcoholic maceration before you go into oak, and then have that time to soften whatever tannins you’ve developed, then you get amazing wines.”

“I was expecting more warm-climate wines and more oak character in the line-up. I was surprised with how many lighter, more elegant examples there were.”

Richardson saw the interest in tempranillo as part of a larger pattern of Australian viticulturists and winemakers looking to less well-known varieties that better suit our climates, rather than trying to grow ‘noble’ varieties that don’t always express themselves well. “Just simply mimicking Burgundy or Bordeaux – which is where common wisdom was when many of our vineyards were planted forty years ago – was seen as accurate and right,” he said. “But obviously, some of those wines have proven to be quite generic, as we sort of moved through and moved forward.” He argued that the question for Australian winemakers has become, in his words, “How do we do what we can in the vineyard, rather than essentially trying to patch it up in the winery?” He added, “Tempranillo – from the right type of sites, particularly somewhere that gives a bit more of that intensity from the Ribera del Duero clones – probably has a place in answering that.”

Above and opposite: Our Deep Dive in full swing at the Bleakhouse Hotel, Albert Park (Melbourne). All wines were sampled ‘blind’.

Hilliker wrapped up the discussion by noting the strength of Australian tempranillo, based on the line-up. “It’s so varied,” she said. “And I was honestly just like so pleased with the variety and the overall quality that we were given today.” Gordon agreed, and summed it up succinctly: “Yeah, the quality was insane,” she said.

Above and opposite: Scenes from our tempranillo tasting at the Bleakhouse Hotel, Albert Park (Melbourne).

The Panel

After more than a decade of success in Melbourne’s legal industry, Raquel Jones returned to her true passions: wine, cooking, and science. Co-founding Weathercraft allowed her to combine these passions, producing wines that reflect her deep respect for old-world methods and her dedication to knowing where your food comes from. She has returned to further study, researching European wines and exploring new ways to elevate both the vineyard and winery. Her natural palate for subtle flavours and textures helps bring an old-world sensibility to the wines, emphasising elegance and complexity.

Matt Froude is so passionate about wine and sake it’s hard to imagine him doing anything else. However, he has had multiple vocations from environmental engineer and tour guide to managing English schools in Asia – all of which have influenced his taste and winemaking philosophy. In 2009, after almost ten years of living in Asia, Matt returned to Australia to study winemaking and follow his passion for wine. Matt currently makes the Municipal wine range in the picturesque Strathbogie Ranges, and produces two Municipal sakes at Matsuse Sake Brewery in Shiga, Japan.

Bonnie Spain is a Melbourne-based sommelier with a particular expertise in Victorian and Iberian wine. After over ten years working as a waiter in hatted restaurants and various cellar doors in the Geelong region, she decided to hone her knowledge of wine and soon found herself at The Spanish Acquisition, working with Spanish and Iberian producers for over three years. Yearning to return to the restaurant floor, she spent time as a sommelier at Tonka before becoming a senior sommelier at the Iberian-focused Marmelo. She has recently commenced a new senior sommelier and wine buyer role with the two-hatted Restaurant Navi in Yarraville.

Stuart Richardson is the co-founder of Seneca Vintners, a Central Victorian wine venture shaped by a deep interest in Australian wine, regional expression, and the country’s evolving fine wine identity. A current Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 4 Diploma in Wines candidate, he is passionate about the opportunity for Australian producers to express unique terroir in a confident and distinctly Australian way. Through Seneca Vintners, he is focused on championing wines of character, elegance, precision and place, and on contributing to the broader conversation about how Australian wine continues to define itself on the world stage.

Eliane Gordon currently works as the head sommelier and wine buyer for Lebanese restaurant Rumi and its sibling venue The Rocket Society in Brunswick East.

Jason Burns’s hospitality experience spans many different levels and styles of service, from pubs to fine dining to wine bars and everywhere in between. He has likewise worked with very eclectic natural-leaning wine lists and very classically focused wine lists. While always having an appreciation of wine, he didn’t get into it seriously until his late twenties – and since then he has completed the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 Award in Wines as well as the French and Italian Wine Scholar programs with the Wine Scholar Guild. He has a passion for championing alternative grape varieties, as well as an admiration for winemakers who test the boundaries, and loves to guide and teach people about wine in an unpretentious way regardless of their experience.

Sarah Hilliker has worked in hospitality since 2011 – but didn’t find wine until 2019, while at Treviso Bar & Dining, where she worked as the bar manager and also eventually became the wine buyer. During her four years at Treviso, she completed both the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 Award in Wines and Level 3 Award in Wines. She landed her first sommelier position at Kisumé in 2023, and completed the Introductory Sommelier Certificate and Certified Sommelier Certificate with the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) during her time there. She took the position of Venue Manager at Bijou bottle store at the start of 2025, where she also headed up the wine program and ran training sessions for the four venues in the Gin Palace hospitality group. She is now moving to a new Yarra Glen venue, Vespa Pasta & Vino, where she will work as the venue manager, and hopes to curate an Italian- and Yarra Valley–focused wine list.

David Murray is the co-founder and co-owner, alongside his troglodytic cousin Will Murray, of Le Tuffeau – a cave tucked away in the limestone-clad recesses of Melbourne’s Nicholas Building, with a hand-picked selection of fine wines representing their diverse tastes. Here he sells rare and hard-to-find (hard-to-love?) bottles: natural bottles, claret bottles, half-bottles, full-bottles, big bottles. Personal wines.

Deep Dive: Australia’s Best Tempranillo

From the Deep Dive

Discover more in The Outtakes below.

Discover more in The Outtakes below.

Discover more in The Outtakes below.

The Top Wines

2022 Fighting Gully Road Tempranillo, Beechworth $45 RRP

2024 Tar & Roses Tempranillo, Heathcote $30 RRP

2024 Mt. Bera ‘Running with the Cows’ Tempranillo, Adelaide Hills $35 RRP

2025 Crabtree ‘Watervale’ Estate Tempranillo, Clare Valley $34 RRP

2024 Saddler’s Creek Wines ‘Saddler’s Tempranillo’, Hilltops $35 RRP

2021 Tim Adams ‘Ladera’ Tempranillo, Clare Valley $45 RRP

2016 Reillys ‘Dry Land’ Tempranillo (Museum Release), Clare Valley $45 RRP

2024 Farmer & the Scientist Tempranillo, Heathcote $35 RRP

2025 Franca’s Vineyard Tempranillo, Riverland $22 RRP

2022 Grampians Estate ‘Longest Drive – Arrawatta Vineyard’ Tempranillo, Great Western (Grampians) $30 RRP

2023 Mr. Mick by Tim Adams Tempranillo, Clare Valley $19 RRP

2024 La Línea Tempranillo, Adelaide Hills $30 RRP

2024 Storm King Wine Co. Tempranillo, Granite Belt $45 RRP

2023 Myattsfield Vineyards Tempranillo, Perth Hills $28 RRP

2024 Three Dams Estate Tempranillo, Heathcote $32 RRP

2025 Kalleske ‘Dodger’ Single Vineyard Tempranillo, Barossa Valley $30 RRP

2025 Elemental by Weathercraft Tempranillo, King Valley $28 RRP

2024 Ferngrove ‘Estate Reserve’ Tempranillo, Frankland River (Great Southern) $27 RRP

2024 Mallee Estate Tempranillo, Riverland $16 RRP

2025 El Desperado Tempranillo, Langhorne Creek $21 RRP

2024 Curtis Family Vineyards Small Batch Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $80 RRP

2022 DiGiorgio Tempranillo, Limestone Coast $31 RRP

2024 Linear Tempranillo, Hilltops $32 RRP

2021 Paracombe Tempranillo, Adelaide Hills $25 RRP

2024 Il Cattivo Tempranillo, Adelaide Hills $32 RRP

2023 Delatite Estate Tempranillo (10% Graciano), Upper Goulburn $48 RRP

2024 The Hedonist Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $30 RRP

2024 Hastwell & Lightfoot Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $30 RRP

2025 Mallee Estate ‘µ’ Tempranillo, Riverland $22 RRP

2024 Shut the Gate ‘For Love’ Single Site Tempranillo, Hilltops $35 RRP

2024 Red Knot by Shingleback ‘Classified’ Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $20 RRP

2023 Angullong ‘Fossil Hill’ Tempranillo, Orange $30 RRP

2024 Bec Hardy ‘Lot 94 BSR’ Tempranillo, McLaren Vale $38 RRP

2022 Delatite Reserve Tempranillo, Upper Goulburn $80 RRP

The backstory

The new king of Spanish varieties

Tempranillo comes to Australia

Viticultural matters

The acid test

Outtakes from the tasting

We gathered every example of Australian tempranillo that we could find, and set our expert panel the task of finding the wines that compelled the most. All wines were tasted blind, and each panellist named their top six wines.

The Panel

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Deep Dive:
Australia’s Best Tempranillo