Paxton Tempranillo 2025: Tasting Notes

WINE STYLE → Savoury, Herbal & Food-Friendly

Tempranillo is beautifully at home in McLaren Vale’s Mediterranean climate, and Paxton gives it a distinctly Australian freshness. Fragrant dark cherry and blueberry meet wild herbs, spice and a savoury edge, flowing onto a silky, medium-bodied palate with supple tannins. There’s enough ripe fruit to make it immediately approachable, but this is not a heavy red — freshness, perfume and savoury detail are the real attraction. Certified organic and biodynamic, vegan friendly and particularly good around a table.

Highlights

• ACO Certified Organic & Biodynamic and vegan friendly
• Crafted by Paxton Wines — family-owned McLaren Vale estate established in 1979
• 100% Tempranillo grown in McLaren Vale
• Silky texture with a distinctive combination of floral, fruit and savoury characters
• A Mediterranean variety particularly well suited to McLaren Vale’s climate
• 13.5% ABV

Tasting Notes

A fragrant, medium-bodied red combining juicy dark cherry and blueberry with wild herbs, floral lift and savoury spice. The palate has the silky texture that Paxton highlights for this 2025 release, with ripe fruit flowing through supple tannins and fresh acidity. Savoury rather than sweet-fruited, it finishes with spice and herbal detail that make another sip — and something good to eat alongside it — very tempting.

Winemaking

Paxton traditionally handles its Tempranillo in individual vineyard parcels, fermenting in small open-top fermenters with regular hand plunging before maturation in older French oak barriques and puncheons. Older oak supports texture and gentle spice without covering Tempranillo’s naturally fragrant, savoury personality. Winemaking for the 2025 release is led by Kate Goodman, with David Paxton responsible for viticulture.

Vineyard & Vintage

Tempranillo is particularly well matched to McLaren Vale’s Mediterranean climate. Paxton grows the variety within its biodynamically managed estate, including plantings at Landcross Farm and the cooler Thomas Block vineyard in Seaview. Thomas Block has shallow red sandy loam over limestone and sand over clay, with Tempranillo planted there from 2015 onwards. The 2025 bottle describes a combination of silky texture with floral and savoury characters — a bright, modern interpretation of this Spanish variety through a McLaren Vale lens.

Why We Love It

Here is a red for anyone who wants flavour without weight. There’s juicy fruit, but the herbs, savoury spice and freshness are just as important, and the silky texture makes it particularly easy around food. It also shows why Mediterranean varieties make so much sense in McLaren Vale: Tempranillo handles the region naturally while offering a refreshing alternative to the bigger Shiraz styles for which the region is famous.

Food Pairing

Tempranillo loves smoky, savoury food. Tomato, paprika, charred vegetables and grilled meats all work beautifully, while its acidity and moderate tannin make it versatile enough for a table of shared dishes.

Try matching this wine with →

• Smoky lamb koftas with yoghurt — Find a Recipe
• Spanish-style roasted capsicum & eggplant — Find a Recipe
• Chorizo & tomato pasta — Find a Recipe

Mood or occasion to match this wine…

Bring this out when dinner consists of lots of plates in the middle of the table and nobody is in a hurry. It has enough personality for a dinner party but is relaxed enough for pizza, tapas and a Wednesday-night catch-up.

Cellaring

Tempranillo’s combination of acidity, fruit and tannin gives this some short-to-medium-term ageing potential, but its fragrant fruit and silky texture make it particularly appealing young. Drink now through approximately 2029 for a vibrant expression of the variety, storing bottles somewhere consistently cool and dark.

Producer

Paxton Wines is a family-owned McLaren Vale producer established by respected viticulturist David Paxton in 1979. Its wines are made entirely from estate-grown fruit, with vineyards spread across several McLaren Vale sites and farmed under certified organic and biodynamic principles. Paxton achieved full organic and biodynamic certification in 2011, placing soil health, biodiversity and resilient vines at the centre of its approach. Mediterranean varieties are an important part of that thinking: Tempranillo is grown at sites including Landcross Farm and Thomas Block, where Paxton is exploring varieties particularly well adapted to McLaren Vale’s warm Mediterranean climate.

Related Wines To Try →

If you enjoy the fragrant, savoury character of Tempranillo, these continue the Mediterranean theme:

• Perfumed, juicy and spice-driven — Paxton Grenache
• Bright Italian-style red with savoury herbal character — Paxton Sangiovese
• Spanish organic red combining Tempranillo with Garnacha — Amigo de la Tierra Garnacha Tempranillo

FAQ

What does Paxton Tempranillo 2025 taste like?

It combines dark cherry and blueberry fruit with wild herbs, floral notes and savoury spice. The palate is dry and medium-bodied, with silky texture, supple tannins and fresh acidity giving it a lively finish.

Is this Tempranillo dry or sweet?

This is a dry red rather than a sweet or jammy style. The fruit is ripe and juicy, but savoury herbs, spice and acidity keep the palate fresh and balanced.

What are the body, tannins and acidity like?

Paxton Tempranillo sits comfortably in the medium-bodied range, making it lighter than many McLaren Vale Shiraz wines. Tannins are supple rather than forceful, while bright acidity gives the wine energy and makes it particularly useful with food.

Is Paxton Tempranillo organic, biodynamic and vegan?

Yes. The 2025 bottle is ACO Certified Organic & Biodynamic and explicitly states that the wine is vegan friendly. Paxton farms its McLaren Vale estate vineyards according to certified organic and biodynamic principles.

Does Paxton Tempranillo contain preservatives or sulphites?

Yes. The 2025 bottle states “contains sulphites”, so this wine should not be described as preservative-free. For wines specifically made without added sulphur, explore our No Added Preservative wine range.

How should I serve Paxton Tempranillo 2025?

Serve it around 15–17°C in a medium-sized red wine glass; slightly cooler than a big Shiraz really suits its fragrant, juicy character. Decanting is optional — 15–20 minutes of air will help a young bottle open, but it is designed to be approachable from the outset.

Can I cellar this Tempranillo?

Yes, although its fresh fruit and silky texture make it very enjoyable young. Drink now through approximately 2029 for the best combination of fruit, savoury complexity and freshness.

What food pairs well with Tempranillo?

Try lamb koftas, chorizo and tomato pasta, tapas, charred vegetables or anything involving paprika and roasted capsicum. Vegetarian dishes based around eggplant, mushrooms, tomato and smoky spices are particularly good matches.

Who will love Paxton Tempranillo 2025?

It is a great choice for anyone who prefers savoury, medium-bodied reds over big, heavily oaked styles. If you enjoy Spanish Tempranillo, Grenache or brighter Mediterranean reds, Paxton’s McLaren Vale interpretation should be right in your territory.

How long will it last after opening?

Recork the bottle and refrigerate it and it should remain in good condition for around 3–4 days. Take it out of the fridge a little before serving so the fruit and aromatics can open up again.

(SKU: PX_TEM_CV)