Styling by Sarah Maloney. Photograph by Chris Jansen.
AUSTRALIAN HOUSE & GARDEN | 131
LIVING H G
Local heroes
Winemaker Frank van der Loo,
of Mount Majura (Canberra
District), produces glorious,
seamless and utterly mesmerising
tempranillo. The 2017 Little
Dam, $48, has a flawless
complexion with poised
red cherry and cranberry
flavours that have the faintest
savoury undercurrent.
Peter Leske of La Línea
(Adelaide Hills) is another
maestro. His 2018 La Línea
Tempranillo Rosé, $22, is
beautifully savoury and dry with
a textural mid-palate that will
have you coming back for more.
Other top producers
of varietal tempranillo include
Mayford, Gemtree and
Tar and Roses.cooler climates, providing a beautiful
balance to the fruit flavours.
Its tannin profile is quite
characteristic, often building slowly
from the beginning of the wine,
rather than ending the wine like
a doorstop. This structural element
makes tempranillo a wonderful
partner to food.
Along with varietal examples, there
are some great blends to be found.
Margan (NSW Hunter Valley), makes an
excellent tempranillo-graciano-shiraz
blend. Or seek out Topper’s Mountain
Bricolage Rouge, an intriguing blend
of tempranillo, nebbiolo, tannat,
shiraz and viognier. #Drinks
It’s relatively new as a homegrown varietal, but there’s lots
to love about Australian tempranillo, writes Toni Paterson.RED ALERT!
T
he rise of ‘alternative’ grape
varieties has garnered a lot of
excitement in the Australian wine
industry. Tempranillo, a dark-skinned
red grape from Spain, is of particular
interest. Plantings have increased
and it has made significant inroads
into the Australian wine market, both
as a standalone variety and as a
component of blends.
Defining the character of Australian
tempranillo is tricky as its varietal
expression changes dramatically
depending on where it is grown, its
yield and who has made it.
The best examples have a deep
burgundy hue. Although they often have
magnificent dark-fruit flavours, these
tend to be composed and measured
rather than rich and fruity. Dark cherry,
mulberry, pomegranate and raspberry
flavours are common. Some wines have
a beautiful spice element, such as clove
or anise; musk and Turkish delight
also appear. Other wines have a
gentle herb accent, mineral or
roasted meat characters.
The alcohol level is generally
slightly lower than that found in
grenache or shiraz, and there is
usually an attractive background
savouriness, and sometimes even
a gentle rusticity.
Acidity can be on the low side
with tempranillo; however, it retains
its natural acidity when grown inTry these 2017 S.C. PANNELL TEMPRANILLO TOURIGA, $30 Fragrant cherries, Turkish delight, earth and spicy clove. The palate is bursting with
plush dark fruit plus a hint of roasted meat. 2018 JERICHO TEMPRANILLO, $26 Raspberry aromas and cherry juice flavours with accents of rose and violet.
2017 MOUNT MAJURA TEMPRANILLO, $48 Raspberry coulis, vanilla and cherry aromas. Delicious mulberry and boysenberry flavours underpinned by
gentle savouriness. 2016 LA LÍNEA TEMPRANILLO, $26 A food-friendly wine with good depth. Intense red fruit with a savoury vein and tannin frame.