Tempranillo

Early ripening, hence the name

«Temprano» means early, and the grape does ripen earlier than many other Spanish red varieties. In the Ribera del Duero it is called Tinto Fino or Tinta del País, in Catalonia Ull de Llebre, in Portugal Tinta Roriz or Aragonez. At Raíz de Guzmán in Roa de Duero every wine is pure Tempranillo, the rosé included.

Rioja and Ribera

In Rioja, Tempranillo is traditionally blended with Garnacha, Graciano or Mazuelo and often aged for a long time in American oak. In the Ribera del Duero it usually stands alone, and the wines differ by site and by wood. How the high plateau around Roa shapes the grape is covered on our Ribera del Duero page.

American oak, French oak

The Rosado de Lágrima 2025 sees no wood at all and ferments in stainless steel at no more than 13°C. The 9 meses 2023 spends nine months in barriques, 80 percent of them American oak, and has the sweetish, toasty note many people know from Rioja. For the Crianza 2022, Raíz de Guzmán turns the ratio round: 12 to 14 months in barrique, now 80 percent French.

The Reserva 2019 ages for 18 to 20 months, the Profunda 2019 for 24 to 26 and the Cayetana 2017 for 36, these only in French oak. With each step the wine moves from red cherry towards dark plum and tobacco. For us the Crianza holds fruit and oak in the best equilibrium; if you like the flavour of American oak, stay with the 9 meses.

Tempranillo at the table

The Raíz de Guzmán reds belong with meat: lamb cutlets with the 9 meses, roast lamb or stews with the Crianza, game with the Reserva and the Profunda, aged Ibérico ham with the Cayetana. For cheese, look to the same family: Cayetana Santos, who owns the bodega, has also been making the Páramo de Guzmán cheeses since 1985. A mature hard cheese works best. Drink the Rosado de Lágrima cold, with sushi, carpaccio or goat's cheese.