The Spanish fieasta is here – crack out the Tempranillo (tem-prah-ni-yo) and serve up the chorizo. My forefathers were from Spain, but I am a local through and through. I grew up in the Canberra region and my grapes were carefully picked by hand, only the best will do so naturally I was aged in French oak. I have a curvaceous medium body, a rich mouth feel and plum fruit flavours with earthy hints of mature spice and black tea tannin.

Super bargain Spanish Tempranillo made lo-fi but clean as a whistle.

Superb, 2016 Single Vineyard Reserva Rioja from top ranking Bodegas La Emperatriz, that first won prizes for its wines in 1878 when it belonged to Empress Eugénie of France. Today brothers Eduardo and Victor Hernáiz own the impressive estate, comprising 101 hectares of high-altitude vineyards in the Rioja Alta. Many of their wines have been awarded over 90 points by Wine Advocate. With extensive vineyards, they have the luxury of using only estate-grown grapes and make a range of top-ranking wines. Rarely, however, do they make a Gran Reserva purely from this single, north-facing vineyard lying at 630 metres. The result is very slow-ripening grapes and a wine with superb structure, depth and impressive complexity. Only now is it opening out, revealing all its rich flavour. Open early – great with lamb.

Savour an elegant yet vibrant, silky, hand-crafted Tempranillo Graciano blend – with all the quality you'd expect from the brilliant Bryan Currie, and terrific quality grapes from cool-climate Hilltops, a region Bryan Currie knows extremely well.

Treat yourself to a multi-Gold, 97pt very appealing Tempranillo from the dynamic Zonte's Footstep team. Madrugador means 'early riser' in Spanish, a reference to the early ripening Tempranillo variety. It makes a delicious partner served with lamb cutlets! “This is fruit forward and inviting with dark plum, blueberry, rich floral and warm spice aromas on the nose, leading to a generously weighted palate offering succulent fruit intensity backed by fine, grainy tannins. Sturdy and bold with a persistent structured finish. 93pt” (Sam Kim, Wine Orbit). For Aaron Brasher in The Real Review it offers: " Lifted and evocative aromas of mulberry, dark cherry, cola, spice and sarsaparilla. Brooding and powerful on the palate, lashings of dark fruits, licorice, sour cherry and cedar. Bright, crunchy acidity and grippy, granular tannins round the wine out very nicely. 92pts".