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Tempranillo Umpqua Cuvée,

Tempranillo Umpqua Cuvée, Wine Details
Price: $20.00 per bottle

Description: For the 2003 vintage we were once again able to harvest Tempranillo fruit of exemplary quality from Southern Oregon’s Umpqua Valley. For this wine we sourced fruit from our estate Fault Line Vineyards, Cox’s Rock and Cobblestone Hill, and from our close neighbor, McCorquodale Vineyard. You’ll find a nose of ripe and effusive black and blue berries, mint, cedar, and mineral followed by well integrated oak and acidity. Expect a lasting finish with rich licorice, leather, and soft, balanced tannins.

Varietal Definition
Tempranillo:
The Tempranillo is to Rioja what Pinot Noir is to Burgundy. By far Spain's most noble indigenous grape it has similar characteristics to the Pinot - strawberries when young, earthy vegetal when mature - and it ages very well. It ripens early ('temprana' is the Spanish for 'early') is thick-skinned and gives good colour and extract but low alcohol and acidity. In Rioja it is blended with the more fiery Garnacha and a little Mazuelo and Graciano. It is grown throughout Spain but very much as a grape for blending as opposed to a straight varietal. Outside Spain the grape is quite prolific in Argentina and to a lesser extent in California.


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