Santiago Deicas is a winemaker who is happy to take risks. Whether that is by planting vines and making wines in the highest hillside vineyard in Uruguay, fighting off wild boars from eating grapes, or literally turning the earth upside down in search of new terroir, he is fast becoming one of the most exciting winemakers to watch in South America. In this Terroir Talk interview, Amanda Barnes interviews Santiago on pioneering new wine regions in Uruguay and some of the latest and most innovative trends happening in Uruguay today and within the portfolio at Familia Deicas wines.
In a whirlwind tour of Uruguay’s wine regions, Santiago and Amanda discuss moving beyond the traditional wine regions of Canelones and going to San José nearby to pioneer a wine region in the incredible schist soils of Sierra de Mahoma. They taste the Familia Deicas Mar de Piedras Tannat from this unique vineyard and Santiago explains why this site makes a really distinctive style of Tannat, much less tannic than other wine regions in Uruguay.
From there, they move to the micro wine regions of Lavalleja just above Maldonado where Familia Deicas has a two-hectare vineyard planted on volcanic soils and where Santiago makes an interesting co-fermentation of Merlot, Tannat, Petit Verdot and Viognier in the Extreme Vineyards Cerro del Guazuvirá range.
And last but not least in this terroir talk, Santiago explains his experimentations in natural wines and orange wines back in the heartland of Uruguayan wine, in Canelones, where he is making his Bizarra line of wines. This interview gives you a great insight into what is happening in Uruguayan wine today from one of the country’s leading winemakers of the new generation.
Taste the wines along with Santiago and Amanda with this special tasting pack online from VinosLatinos!
South America Wine Guide Terroir Talk interview with winemaker Santiago Deicas
Familia Deicas wine tasting notes
Familia Deicas Mar de Piedras Tannat
Tannat 100%- Wine Region: Sierra de Mahoma, San José
- Vintage: 2015
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Winemaking: Pre-fermentation maceration at low temperatures (3 – 5C) for 4 days. Alcoholic fermentation at 26 – 28 C. 6 months in 1st and 2nd use French barrels.
- Winemaker: Santiago Deicas
This is one of my favourite Tannat wines in Uruguay because it is so distinctive! I like to describe it as pure blood and stone! It has this attractive nose of graphite and bloody notes of iron making it an ultimately savoury wine but there are also layers of dark plum and forest fruit with some wild mountain herb aromas. Linear and chiselled in the palate, it is a long and complex wine although it invites you to take another sip immediately. Modern, precise and exciting Tannat!
Familia Deicas Extreme Vineyards Cerro del Guazuvirá
Merlot 50%, Tannat 40%, Petit Verdot 8%, Viognier 2%- Wine Region: Lavalleja
- Vintage: 2018
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Winemaking: Co-fermentation of all four varieties made with minimal intervention in open bins and aged in amphora and used barrels.
- Winemaker: Santiago Deicas
This wine was truly a labour of love to make. Between having to replant a vineyard and add special protectors to each vine to save it from small deers to having to erect an electric fence all around the vineyard to protect it from wild boars, to hand harvesting and carrying the grapes downhill each time to reach a flatter level where vehicles have access, there is nothing easy about making wine in this remote and wild location! The results do however prove that all the effort is worth it… this is an absolutely gorgeous wine made from co-fermenting Merlot, Tannat, Petit Verdot and Viognier. It is oh-so fragrant with notes of flowers and bright, juicy red fruit and a mouthwatering finish. It is an energetic and lively wine.
Bizarra Extravanganza Orange Wine
Gros Manseng 50%, Petit Manseng 50%- Wine Region: Canelones
- Vintage: 2019
- Alcohol: 12.5%
- Winemaking: Skin contact for several weeks followed by ageing on the lees in neutral vessels. Low sulphites, minimal intervention, unfiltered and unfined.
- Winemaker: Santiago Deicas
This is a natural wine made in a truly artisanal way with grapes trodden by foot, co-fermented with skin contact and kept on the lees throughout its life (even after bottling!) On the nose it is all honey and apple pie, while in the palate it is fresh and lively with structure and length. A wine for juicy chorizos straight from the BBQ!
Read more about Familia Deicas on our online winery guide
Read more about Uruguayan wine online