Raimat Pirinenca Tempranillo

Raimat Pirinenca Tempranillo is a 100% Tempranillo red wine from D.O. Costers del Segre, Catalonia, Spain, bottled at 13.5% ABV in a 750ml format. The 2020 vintage earned 91 points from James Suckling, and the 2018 vintage received a Gold Medal at Mundus Vini — recognition that places this sustainably farmed Catalan red firmly among serious Spanish Tempranillos.

Quick Facts: ABV: 13.5%  |  Origin: D.O. Costers del Segre, Catalonia, Spain  |  Aged 12 Months in Oak  |  Producer: Raimat (Codorníu Group)

Production & Heritage

Raimat is part of the historic Codorníu Group, one of Spain's oldest wine families. The estate sits in the semi-arid Costers del Segre appellation in Lleida, where vineyards are irrigated with pure Pyrenean meltwater channeled through an extensive network of over 100 kilometers of ditches originally constructed in 1910. The Pirinenca Tempranillo is sustainably farmed, with grapes vinified and then aged for 12 months in oak barrels, developing structure and spice while preserving the ripe fruit character that the region's warm days and cool nights encourage.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with fresh mentholated notes before giving way to ripe black fruit and hints of cocoa. Deeper in the glass, orange peel and baking spices emerge alongside a subtle cedar undertone.

Taste: The entry is generous with sweet dark fruit — blackberry and plum dominate the mid-palate. Cedar and spice build toward the peak, supported by well-integrated tannins that feel polished rather than grippy. There is a pleasant sweetness to the fruit that balances the oak influence without veering into heaviness.

Finish: Medium-length with sweet tannins that linger and a trailing note of cocoa and warm spice. The finish remains clean and fruit-forward, leaving an impression of ripeness without excess.

How to Drink Pirinenca Tempranillo

This wine is at its best served at 16–18°C (61–64°F). A brief decant of 20–30 minutes opens the aromatic layers, though it drinks well from the pour. For cocktails and mixed serves: a Kalimotxo (red wine and cola) works surprisingly well with the Pirinenca's fruit-forward sweetness; a classic Spanish Sangria benefits from the dark fruit and spice backbone; and a Red Wine Spritzer makes a lighter warm-weather option that lets the mentholated freshness shine.

Best For

• Weeknight dinners that call for an approachable yet structured red
• Introducing a friend to quality Spanish Tempranillo beyond Rioja
• Pairing with grilled meats at a weekend barbecue
• Building a value-driven Spanish wine collection

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Pirinenca Tempranillo taste like? It delivers ripe dark fruit — blackberry and plum — layered with cocoa, cedar, and baking spices, supported by sweet, polished tannins and a clean medium-length finish.

How does Pirinenca Tempranillo compare to a typical Rioja Crianza? Both are 100% Tempranillo aged approximately 12 months in oak, but the Pirinenca draws on the warmer Costers del Segre climate, producing riper, sweeter fruit and a mentholated freshness less common in Rioja. A Rioja Crianza often leans more toward dried red fruit, vanilla, and earthier tannin structure.

Is Pirinenca Tempranillo good for sipping neat? Yes — the polished tannins and balanced oak aging make it a comfortable wine to drink on its own, especially with a brief decant to let the aromatics open up.

Where is Pirinenca Tempranillo made? It is produced at the Raimat estate in the D.O. Costers del Segre appellation, located in the Lleida province of Catalonia, northeastern Spain. The vineyards are irrigated with snowmelt water from the Pyrenees, channeled through a canal system dating back to 1910.

What foods pair well with Pirinenca Tempranillo? Grilled lamb chops complement the wine's dark fruit and spice; aged Manchego cheese echoes its savory oak notes; roasted red pepper dishes mirror its ripe berry character; slow-cooked pork shoulder matches its sweet tannin structure; and dark chocolate desserts play well with the cocoa finish.

What sizes does Pirinenca Tempranillo come in? It is widely available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is Pirinenca Tempranillo worth the price? Pirinenca Tempranillo positions as a value-tier Spanish red that punches above its weight — a 91-point James Suckling score and Mundus Vini Gold Medal are uncommon accolades at this price level, making it a strong entry point into quality Tempranillo.

Why Pirinenca Tempranillo?

What separates this wine from the crowded field of Spanish Tempranillos is its origin. Costers del Segre remains one of Catalonia's less commercially saturated appellations, and Raimat's Pyrenean meltwater irrigation — an engineering feat more than a century old — gives the vines a resource most estates in the region cannot replicate. The 91-point rating from James Suckling and Mundus Vini Gold Medal confirm that sustainable farming and 12 months of oak aging translate into genuine complexity at a price point that rarely delivers this level of critical recognition. For anyone looking beyond Rioja and Ribera del Duero, this is a compelling argument for Costers del Segre.