This white grape variety comes from Spain. It must not be confused with the Santa Magdalena variety (with the synonym Tempranillo Blanco). Tempranillo Blanco is a colour mutation of the red Tempranillo variety. Apart from slightly smaller berries and leaves, it is genetically identical and also has the same characteristics with regard to diseases. It was discovered in 1988 by winemaker Jesús Galilea Esteban in a vineyard in the Rioja Oriental area. The CIDA research institute in Rioja spent four years selecting and stabilising the variety. It has now been officially approved since 2004. The early-ripening vine produces white wines rich in alcohol and acidity with intense aromas of citrus fruit, tropical fruit and white flowers. A first wine from it was marketed in 2005. The variety is now grown in small quantities by several producers in the Rioja area. In 2016, an area under cultivation of 110 hectares was reported (Kym Anderson). Another mutation with grey berries is Tempranillo Gris.
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Andreas Essl
Autor, Modena