Comparison
Tempranillo vs Sangiovese
Spain’s and Italy’s signature reds — which is fresher, and which is rounder?
The short answer
The main differences: Sangiovese has more acidity; Sangiovese has more herbal / green character; Tempranillo has more oak influence.
Choose
Tempranillo
Choose Tempranillo if you want something more oaky, rounder and creamier in texture.
Choose
Sangiovese
Choose Sangiovese if you want something fresher and more acidic, more herbal and green, fresher.
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.
Acidity
Clear differenceTotal perceived acidity. Rises in cooler climates and with earlier picking; falls with heat and ripeness.
Sangiovese is fresher and more acidic: high against medium.
Herbal / green character
Clear differenceHerbs, grass, blackcurrant leaf, capsicum and other green notes, largely driven by methoxypyrazines and picking decisions.
Sangiovese is more herbal and green: medium against low.
Oak influence
Clear differencePerceptible impact of barrel or alternative oak contact — vanilla, toast, coconut, smoke, cedar and added texture.
Tempranillo is more oaky: medium-plus against medium.
Perceived freshness
Clear differenceThe overall impression of liveliness — a composite of acidity, alcohol balance, fruit character and the absence of tiredness. Distinct from raw acidity: a wine can be high in acid yet taste heavy.
Sangiovese is fresher: medium-plus against medium.
Texture
Clear differenceMouthfeel independent of weight — from lean and cutting through to creamy, waxy or velvety. Driven by lees contact, malolactic conversion, skin contact and ageing.
Tempranillo is rounder and creamier in texture: 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.
- Tannin: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Alcohol: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Body: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Fruit intensity: Similar — both medium.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Tempranillo | Sangiovese |
|---|---|---|
| Acidity | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Herbal / green character | low (1/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Oak influence | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) | typically medium, ranging from low to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Texture | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) |
| Sweetness | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Tannin | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Alcohol | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Body | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | medium (3/5) |
| Savoury character | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Floral character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Spice | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) |
| Earthy character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Serve at | 15–17°C | 15–17°C |
| Typical flavours | red cherry, dried strawberry, leather, tobacco, vanilla | sour cherry, dried herbs, tomato leaf, leather, balsamic |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.
Read more
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.
Grape
Sangiovese
Italy’s most planted variety and the grape behind Chianti and Brunello — high in acid, firm in tannin, and built for food.
Comparison
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