The success of Ribera del Duero Tempranillo is nothing short of a miracle. It is grown on a plateau ranging from an altitude of 2,400 to 8,000 feet in famously inhospitable climatic and soil conditions. But the grapes, like the winemakers, persist. 

This is in part due to the fact the poor soils are also the ones that confer the qualities unique to Tinta del País. Much of the vineyard land is comprised of bush vines – decades and in some cases century-old vines – that produce relatively few grapes but ones that are intense, rich, and mouth-filling. Their thick skins and concentration ensure this. When describing the structure of this region’s Tempranillo, Master Sommelier and author of the book, “Message in the Bottle: A Guide to Tasting Wine,” put it this way: “Ribera del Duero Tempranillo reminds me of Bordeaux.” High praise indeed.

To understand this, you have to look back, possibly as far back as the 4th century. While the grapes growing today don’t stem back quite that far (ahem), the resourcefulness of the North Africans that settled there later followed by the monks who devised relatively modern winemaking techniques, the stage was set for the old-meets-new style of wine that is inherent to many of the bottles that come out of the Ribera del Duero of today.  What, exactly, is that?

To start, the wines are majority Tempranillo, although the region’s most famous winery and for that matter all of Spain’s – Vega Sicilia – introduced the concept of blending the local grape with well-known Bordeaux varietals cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and malbec when they first started making wine in the mid-18th century. Now, their flagship wine called Unico is predominantly Tempranillo with cabernet added in different proportions each year. Another Vega Sicilia brand, Alión, makes its flagship wine exclusively from Tinto Fino – a specific clone and the other regional name for the local Tempranillo. 

In the vineyard

There are many distinguishing features of Ribera del Duero Tempranillo versus the same grape grown elsewhere. For one, the predominance of old vines is unmatched – over a third of all the vineyard sites are comprised of these. Because these vines produce relatively small amounts of fruit, the yield is significantly lower than in other areas. The pay-off is intense, noteworthy fruit and a similar resulting wine.

In addition, Tinto Fino, the Tempranillo clone that is the most widely planted in Ribera del Duero, is suited to the dry, sandy, and clay soils inherent in the region. Different clone, different wine. The wines end up with greater intensity, dark fruit flavors (other Tempranillo-growing regions tend to produce wines with more dominant red fruit flavors), and a darker, more tannic wine. This necessarily makes this regional wine unique and underscores the concept of terroir like no other.

In many places, a walk through a Ribera del Duero vineyard is more like an exercise in balance owing to its rockiness. Think Chateauneuf-du-Pape only smaller stones. But as we know from the famous region in France, sometimes the rockiest soils produce the most heralded wines. Ribera del Duero is no different.

In the winery

Winemaking itself in Ribera del Duero is also different than in other places. The intensity of the individual berries is just the start. Additionally, the daily temperature swings – as much as 50 degrees – tend to produce softer, silkier tannins despite the thick skins of the grapes, which winemakers use this to their advantage. Most producers in the region use French oak versus American oak often used elsewhere, and because the grapes are so hearty, it’s not uncommon for winemakers to use barrique – small 60-gallon barrels – rather than the large 1,200-gallon foudres. Those are used too, though.

Indeed, no two Ribera del Duero winemakers follow the same script. Each winemaker has different vineyard sources, and this dictates what happens in the winery. Some winemakers will ferment and age their wine in the small oak barrels for maximum wood influence; others will ferment the juice in stainless steel, while others will do so in cement eggs. This is partly what makes Ribera del Duero Tempranillo so thrilling – one winemaker’s wine might be more oak-forward (though always balanced) because their grapes have their own power and fruit to create a beautiful interplay with the oak. Others might dial the oak back because they want their fruit to be the star of the show. The thick-skinned Tempranillo unique to this region will ensure that, with or without oak. In fact, if anything, the thick skins, which impart both tannin and structure, need to be managed so that they don’t dominate the dark fruit and other flavors of the wine.

In the glass

The real question is what ends up in the glass? If you ask owner and wine director of France 44 in Minneapolis, Rick Anderson, it’s power. “Most Ribera del Duero [wine] tends to be big, bold because that’s just how the Tempranillo is.” While that’s true, it’s even more than that. Like Master Sommelier, Gaiser, Anderson calls out the texture. “Texture is critical because it’s a key part of the experience,” something that Ribera del Duero demonstrates in spades though less often thought about by many wine drinkers, whether Tempranillo or any other wine.

Anderson maintains that the Tempranillo from this region is highly approachable, particularly for American consumers who gravitate toward bigger, bolder wines. “If you’re looking for a gateway for the American red consumer into Spanish wines, Ribera del Duero [Tempranillos] are your best bet. They are the easiest entree and so powerful.” This said, calling it a gateway wine might be under-selling the complexity of the wines from the region. While they may be big – the scorching hot temperatures and small berries make that unavoidable – their power is the feature that makes them endlessly interesting.

When the Denomination of Origin was formed in 1982, along with that came official sub-categories applying to aging. Crianza is a wine that has been aged in barrel and bottle no less than two years; a Reserva is at least three years, and a Gran Reserva is at least five years. Another category – Cosecha – doesn’t indicate the age and instead is a wine that meets or even exceeds the specifications in the region. This makes it a kind of catch-all, but it also captures the renegade spirit of many winemakers in the region. Even though their wine could fit into one of the more strictly defined categories, they want the freedom to go outside those categories while still playing within the rules of the DO. Some of the region’s best wines are Cosechas.

Anderson calls Tempranillo a chameleon, “You can do so many things with the grape. Lees stirring (an unusual technique for red wine), more oxygenation or less – so many ways you can alter the grape.” When it comes to Ribera del Duero Tempranillo, he differentiates it by describing it as more “masculine, muscular – like Napa or Sonoma Cabernet.” That is unquestionably true, though as with any wine, the vineyard practices and winemaker’s style dictates the ultimate result.

That ultimate result is just the beginning. Says Anderson, “I’ve probably had the opportunity to taste 100 wines from the region, and that barely touches the surface.” That sentiment sure feels like an invitation to start tasting Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero to understand the variation and thrill in every bottle.

Some of the world’s most prized Tempranillo comes from this region, and some of the best everyday wines are produced here too. Anderson sums it up perfectly, “Tempranillo has a tremendous range that I don’t think people realize.” With that, we wish you a glass-half-full International Tempranillo Day this year and every year to come.