Comparison
Pinot Noir vs Tempranillo
How Pinot Noir and Tempranillo differ, dimension by dimension.
The short answer
The main differences: Pinot Noir has more floral character; Pinot Noir has more acidity; Tempranillo has more tannin.
Choose
Pinot Noir
Choose Pinot Noir if you want something more floral, fresher and more acidic, more aromatic.
Choose
Tempranillo
Choose Tempranillo if you want something more tannic and structured, stronger and warmer, fuller and richer.
Where they genuinely differ
Only differences large enough to notice in the glass are listed here. A gap of half a point on a five-point scale is noise, and WineHQ does not dress it up as a finding.
Floral character
Clear differenceBlossom, rose, violet, elderflower, acacia and related aromatic notes.
Pinot Noir is more floral: medium against low.
Acidity
Clear differenceTotal perceived acidity. Rises in cooler climates and with earlier picking; falls with heat and ripeness.
Pinot Noir is fresher and more acidic: medium-plus against medium.
Tannin
Clear differencePhenolic compounds from grape skins, seeds, stems and oak. The principal structural axis of red wine.
Tempranillo is more tannic and structured: medium-plus against medium.
Alcohol
Clear differencePerceived alcoholic strength, which tracks actual ABV but is modified by sweetness, acidity and body.
Tempranillo is stronger and warmer: medium-plus against medium.
Body
Clear differenceThe overall weight and viscosity of the wine in the mouth — a composite of alcohol, sugar, extract and glycerol.
Tempranillo is fuller and richer: medium-plus against medium.
Aromatic intensity
Clear differenceHow strongly the wine smells before it is tasted. Some grapes are intrinsically aromatic; others express mainly on the palate.
Pinot Noir is more aromatic: medium-plus against medium.
Where they are much the same
Just as useful: knowing which parts of the choice do not matter.
- Sweetness: Similar — both low.
- Fruit intensity: Similar — both medium.
- Savoury character: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Herbal / green character: Similar — both low.
- Spice: Similar — both medium.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Pinot Noir | Tempranillo |
|---|---|---|
| Floral character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | low (1/5) |
| Acidity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Tannin | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Alcohol | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Body | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Oak influence | typically medium, ranging from low to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) |
| Earthy character | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) |
| Texture | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Sweetness | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Savoury character | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Herbal / green character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Spice | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Serve at | 14–16°C | 15–17°C |
| Typical flavours | red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, forest floor, mushroom | red cherry, dried strawberry, leather, tobacco, vanilla |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.
Read more
Grape
Pinot Noir
A thin-skinned, difficult, site-sensitive variety that produces the most perfumed and transparent red wines in the world.
Grape
Tempranillo
Spain’s leading red variety, giving savoury, leather-and-cherry wines that are shaped as much by oak ageing as by the grape itself.
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