Lachlan Allen
Owner and winemaker, Barristers Block
Tempranillo is a brilliant choice for autumn. Its medium body, rich flavours and balanced acidity make it a perfect partner for roasted meats like lamb, pork and beef. The bright fruit notes complement the savoury richness of roasted lamb, while its acidity cuts through the fattiness of pork belly or barbecued sausages.
I love tempranillo. I love growing it, harvesting it, making wine with it and drinking it! It’s a medium weight red that pairs as well with carefully constructed dishes as it does with a bowl of olives.
Tempranillo is a Spanish grape variety with a Spanish name. The double “l” is silent, so it is pronounced tem-pruh-nee-yo. In Spain, it’s widely grown – especially in the Rioja region – and was first planted in Australia in the 1990s, with broader plantings occurring in the 2000s as alternative varieties really began to take off in the country.
Tempranillo loves the warmth and sunshine of many Australian vineyards, where it can ripen fully. It even grows exceptionally well in our cooler climate regions, producing some outstanding wines.
As a hands-on grape grower and winemaker, I’m a big fan of the grape itself. Unlike other grapes that hide from the sun under the leaves, tempranillo has that sun-loving Spanish bravado and naturally ripens its plump red berries directly in the sun. To achieve this, it has developed a thick skin to protect the fruit, making it an especially easy variety to hand-pick.
In the winery, these plump berries yield a lot of juice. As a winemaker, this makes it easy to work with – you can see what you’re getting as soon as the bins come through the winery doors. It has a beautiful, vibrant purple colour that has a jewel-like quality.
Tempranillo can produce wines with truly delicious aromas, ranging from scents of cooked fruit, black cherry and black currant to notes of smoke and black pepper. These are often intertwined with hints of dry leaves, graphite and earthiness. As the wine ages, additional aromas of leather, tobacco and spices like vanilla or cinnamon may emerge, adding complexity and depth. The character of tempranillo is also heavily influenced by the terroir (the soil in the vineyard and the climate). Wines from warmer regions often showcase richer, fruit-forward profiles, while those from cooler areas tend to have more subtle, floral aromas and higher acidity.
In the Adelaide Hills, we are a cool climate region and we’ve planted our tempranillo on north-facing slopes. We make a delicious blend of 70% tempranillo, 15% cabernet sauvignon and 15% shiraz for a little extra body and spice, resulting in a wine with a vibrant medium body and enticing notes of berries, savoury spice, smoke and cacao.
Thanks to its medium body, rich flavours and balanced acidity, tempranillo is an excellent wine for autumn. It pairs perfectly with roasted meats such as lamb, pork and beef. The wine’s bright fruit flavours complement the rich, savoury notes of roasted lamb, while its acidity cuts through the fattiness of pork belly or barbecued sausages. Grilled vegetables, such as mushrooms, eggplant and bell peppers, also pair wonderfully with tempranillo. The wine’s earthy undertones enhance the natural sweetness of charred vegetables, making for a satisfying pairing. Tempranillo also works well with Mediterranean-inspired dishes, such as tapas, patatas bravas or a cheese board with manchego, chorizo and olives.
As a medium bodied wine, it sits comfortably between pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon on the wine list and is an ideal wine to have behind the bar as a by-the-glass pour this autumn.
