Tempranillo Archives - It Must Be Wine O'clock

Here are a few choice wines to enjoy this Christmas season!

Merry Christmas!

Delightful white wines

Lyrarakis Assyrtiko 2022 (Crete)

This Assyrtiko wine from Crete is a dry wine with a crisp, refreshing acidity. It has pronounced aromas of honey, together with apple and peach, on the nose, and flavours of apple, pear and peach on the palate.

It is a well-balanced, medium-bodied wine with a long finish that can be enjoyed as an apéritif and is also an excellent match for a seafood dish.

Available from Majestic (£12.99, Mix Six £10.99)

Grove Mill, Wairau Valley, Marlborough 2021 (New Zealand)

This aromatic Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is a real treat.

Pronounced aromas of elderflower, peach, lychee and guava on the nose herald flavours of lime, nectarine and passion fruit on the palate. The layers of fruit are well supported by the bright acidity and lasting finish, and a hint of minerality adds a further level.

A delightful wine offering great value for money.

Available from Co-op (£10.50)

Chapel Down Bacchus 2022 (Kent)

This Bacchus wine from Chapel Down vineyard in Kent, one of England’s leading wine producers, is an excellent example of what this grape variety is capable of.

An aromatic wine with notes of melon and citrus on the nose, and flavours of apple, melon and grapefruit on the palate, this is a crisp, refreshing and well-balanced wine with a long finish.

Enjoy by itself or with seafood or salad. It also pairs well with Wensleydale cheese.

Available from Grape Britannia (£16.99)

Cracking red wines

Les Hauts de Saint Martin, Saint Chinian 2021 (France)

This Saint-Chinian wine from vineyards located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France is a smooth, rich, full-bodied wine. A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre grapes, this is a dry wine with medium acidity, medium tannins and a lengthy finish.

With bramble, plum and cherry on the nose, and an array of red and black fruits, and a hint of spice on the palate, this is a very appealing wine that pairs well with a roast meat dish, or roasted vegetables.

Available from Co-op (£10)

Yalumba Y Series Tempranillo 2020/21 (South Australia)

This Tempranillo wine from South Australia adds a little Antipodean twist to this grape variety generally associated with Rioja. Produced by Yalumba winery, one of Australia’s oldest wineries, this is a deliciously smooth wine which can be enjoyed by itself, and goes really well with duck or lamb.

With aromas of cranberry, cherry and bramble on the nose, and flavours of blackberry and plum, with a hint of chocolate and spice, on the palate, this is a balanced wine with a long finish.

Available from Majestic (£10.99, Mix Six £8.49)

White Castle Regent 2021 (Wales)

This wonderfully expressive wine from White Castle Vineyard in Wales is an outstanding red wine. Made from Regent grapes, it is a well-balanced wine that’s an ideal match for the complex blend of flavours associated with a traditional Christmas lunch.

With aromas of cherry, blackberry and a touch of smokiness on the nose, and ripe fruit flavours of blackcurrant and plum on the palate, this is a wine with depth and complexity.

Available from Grape Britannia (£27.99)

Indulgent dessert wines

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pedro Ximénez (Spain)

This Pedro Ximénez (PX) from Sainsbury’s is a full-bodied, lusciously sweet wine with a long, velvety finish. With aromas of honey, raisin and toffee, reminiscent of a mince pie, on the nose, and coffee, caramel and toffee flavours on the palate, this is a perfect match for Christmas pudding or other rich dessert, and mature cheese.

Available from Sainsbury’s (£9)

Keo St John’s Commandaria (Cyprus)

This luscious Cypriot dessert wine has a history dating back to the Crusades and is an outstanding dessert wine. With aromas of dried fruit and spices, and flavours of caramel, honey and nuts, Commandaria can be enjoyed by itself, or with cheese or desserts. It is a particularly good match for a rich, creamy dessert.

Available from Aspris & Son (www.aspris.co.uk) (£11.79, 50cl.)

Merry Christmas!

Look out for more wine suggestions from around the world in 2024.

Cheers!

A very appealing Rioja to brighten up your weekend

Baron de Ley Reserva 2018, Rioja (Spain)

Tempranillo is Spain’s principal black grape variety and is grown widely throughout northern and central Spain. It is particularly associated with wines from Rioja, located in the Ebro River Valley, around 60 miles south of Bilbao.

This is a very appealing Rioja. It is a smooth well-balanced wine, with medium acidity, medium tannins and a lengthy finish.

Deep ruby in colour, it has aromas of plum, blackcurrant and cloves on the nose, and plum, cherry and chocolate on the palate. The barrel-ageing gives the wine additional characters of vanilla and oak.

A wine which can be enjoyed by itself but which also goes well with lamb, duck or a roast vegetable dish.

Available from Co-op (£12.75)

A nod to Spain in this Australian wine

Yalumba Y Series Tempranillo 2019/20 (South Australia)

When we think of Tempranillo, we think of Spain, and in particular, Rioja, but this Tempranillo wine from South Australia adds a little Antipodean twist to proceedings. Produced by Yalumba winery, one of Australia’s oldest wineries, founded by Englishman Samuel Smith in 1849, this is a deliciously smooth wine which can be enjoyed by itself, and goes really well with duck or lamb.

With aromas of cranberry, cherry and bramble on the nose, and flavours of blackberry and plum, with a hint of chocolate and spice, on the palate, this is a balanced wine with a long finish which is guaranteed to brighten up your day.

Available from Majestic (£9.49, Mix Six £7.49)

A very appealing organic Tempranillo from Toledo …

Finca Constancia Entre Lunas Organic Tempranillo 2019 (Castilla-la-Mancha)

Located near Toledo in Castilla-la-Mancha, the winery at Finca Constancia is a pioneer in biodynamic winemaking practices and this very appealing red wine is 100% organic. It is made from indigenous Tempranillo grapes, which flourish in the long hot summers and cooler winters of the region.

This is a full-bodied wine, smooth, silky and well-balanced, with medium tannins and a lengthy finish, and has been aged in oak for eight months, giving it a hint of smokiness in the background.

Aromas of vanilla, blackcurrant, raspberry and plum on the nose lead to raspberry, cherry and damson, with hints of cloves and chocolate, on the palate. This is a bold, expressive wine, which will go very well with a traditional roast lunch.

Available from Sainsbury’s (£8.50)

Q: What do you like best about Spanish wine? A: Its versatility.

Paco & Lola, Garnacha/Tempanillo 2018, Navarra

What I really like about Spanish wine is its versatility. In recent weeks we have enjoyed some excellent white wines – Albariño, Godello, Garnacha Blanca – yet the Spanish reds are no less interesting. And not just the Rioja reds. Take this Paco & Lola Garnacha/Tempranillo for example, a very appealing blend made from grapes grown at altitudes of around 450m in Navarra.

Paco & Lola is already known for its scintillating Albariño and it is very good news that they are now producing an excellent red with the trademark ‘polka dot’ label. This Garnacha-Tempranillo blend combines two of Spain’s most widely-produced red-wine grape varieties and brings out the best features of both: Tempranillo brings higher acidity and tannin, and the Garnacha contributes body and fresh red fruit and warm spicy flavours. The result is a fruity, medium-bodied wine with a great personality.

It’s a dry wine with medium tannin, medium (+) acid and medium alcohol. With aromas of cherry, strawberry and plum on the nose, leading on to cranberry and redcurrant with a hint of cinnamon and smokiness on the palate, it’s a well-balanced wine with a medium (+) finish. It’s a great summer wine!

Ramón Bilbao Crianza Rioja 2016 (Tempranillo)

This deep red Tempranillo wine from the Rioja region of Spain is a well-balanced wine of medium intensity and medium acidity. Aromas of blackberry and cherry together with sweet spices and vanilla on the nose; and intense flavours of black fruits, vanilla and spices, with hints of hazelnut and liquorice, on the palate. It’s a smooth wine with medium tannins which pairs well with red meats, sausage dishes and casseroles. Also, goes perfectly with a hard cheese.

Red wines for autumn

As the temperature starts to drop and the nights draw in, here are a few suggestions for red wines for autumn, to enjoy along with those casseroles, pies and stews as we look towards Halloween and Bonfire Night …

Ramón Bilbao Crianza Rioja 2016 (Tempranillo)

Stump Jump Shiraz 17 d’Arenberg

This is a full-bodied deep ruby wine from McLaren Vale, Australia. Minty and fragrant on the nose, and concentrated with lashings of pronounced black fruit as well as liquorice and sweet spice on the palate. A smooth wine with a nice long finish. It works well with your Sunday roast, and is a good match for a steak and pepper sauce or something similarly robust.

Chianti Classico 15 Campomaggio

A medium-bodied Sangiovese wine with high acidity and medium tannins. It has quite intense flavours of strawberry, plum, and blackberry with a hint of cedar and toasted wood. A balanced wine with a medium finish. An appealing wine, a good all-rounder, which is ideal for a big casserole or roast.