Marqués de Riscal Tempranillo y Syrah is the smooth, modern red wine from this historic house, made outside the classic Rioja rules in the alluvial soils along the Duero River. The focus is on carefully selected Tempranillo from sandy soils, supplemented with Syrah for added depth and structure. What exactly is Marqués de Riscal Tempranillo y Syrah? It's a round, soft, and accessible red from Castilla y León with abundant fruit and a surprisingly refined balance suitable for everyday use.
The grapes come from Spain, from Castilla y León, from the alluvial lands of the Duero region, where the river has left behind wide terraces of sandy soil. It is precisely on these sandy soils that Marqués de Riscal selects the finest Tempranillo vineyards for this cuvée, because the vines here produce grapes with abundant color and ripe fruit, as well as fresh acidity. The winery itself dates back to 1858 and is considered the oldest bodega in Rioja, but for this wine, it deliberately chooses an origin outside the classic denominations to allow for maximum freedom in style. In 2024, Marqués de Riscal was also named the best vineyard in the world, underscoring how seriously this estate takes the quality of its vineyards.
Only perfectly ripe Tempranillo is hand-picked into small crates to ensure the bunches arrive undamaged at the cellar. Fermentation takes place at controlled temperatures, with a relatively short maceration of the skins to extract plenty of color and fruit without developing harsh tannins. Malolactic fermentation then takes place in a vat, which rounds out the acidity and softens the wine's texture. Syrah is then added to add structure, spice, and depth, resulting in an intensely colored, balanced wine with a pronounced aromatic character and an alcohol content of 14%.
Tempranillo – sandy alluvial soils in the Duero region
Tempranillo forms the base of this wine and provides the intense black cherry colour, the core fruit of red berries and the round, soft structure.
Syrah – selected plots in Castilla y León
Syrah is added in smaller quantities and provides extra structure, a spicy note and depth of aroma and flavour, giving the blend more length and complexity.
