Best known as the dominant grape of Rioja where Tempranillo is blended with Cabernet and Garnacha (Grenache). Until the 1990s it was heavily oaked in American oak but today French oak is used, imparting savoury leather, cherry and tobacco characters. A thin-skinned and early ripening grape, it is pale in colour and usually offers tremendous value for money. The best versions have rich complexity and ageing potential. Australian Tempranillo’s tend to be powerful, and full of blackberry and spice. In cool climate regions, such as the Adelaide Hills, pioneers like Nepenthe produce a Tempranillo that is far more more elegant, fresher and extremely food-friendly.