Tag:

PIsano

best Uruguayan Tannat wines to try for Tannat day, celebrate uruguayan tannat with these great wines

Uruguayan Tannat wines for Tannat Day: Celebrating 14th April

by Amanda Barnes April 10, 2022

I’ve long been a fan of Uruguayan Tannat, and the annual Tannat Day on 14th April is a great excuse to raise a glass. Tannat is Uruguay’s champion grape variety, accounting for about a quarter of all the vineyard plantings at over 1,600 hectares, and Uruguay has more Tannat planted than any other wine country in the world.

Uruguay began celebrating Tannat Day on 14th April in order to mark the date that its first true Tannat champion, Pascual Harriague, passed away in 1894. Harriague started planting Tannat in Uruguay back in the 1870s and gained some international praise for the wines after taking them to wine shows in Europe. His wines were so well known in Uruguay, that the variety Tannat was actually called Harriague for many years (and some producers still call Tannat Harriague!)

On a recent trip in Uruguay, I discovered lots of new delicious Tannat wines while visiting wineries and winemakers. So here are some new Tannat wines to celebrate Tannat Day with – salud!

New Tannat wines to celebrate Tannat Day

Nakkal, Suelto Tannat 2021

Coming from the small natural wine project of Nakkal, this is a vibrant and fresh Tannat. Nicolás Monforte, Santiago Degasperi and Bruno Bresesti only started their Nakkal label a couple of years ago but they’ve really carved out their own style, and Suelto is the epitome of that: juicy, fresh and with lots of energy. A Tannat to drink chilled at lunch.

Pablo Fallabrino, Anarkia 2020

Pablo Fallabrino was the first winemaker in Uruguay to really start pushing for no added sulphite Tannat wines in 2016. I think 2020 is his best vintage yet of this no-added-sulphite Tannat, Anarkia. It has notes of black fruits and pepper with a really lively finish. Pulsating, vibrant stuff.

De Lucca, Tano Tannat Natural 2020

It took Agustina some time to convince her father, known as Tano, to make a ‘natural Tannat’ with no added sulphites or oak, but he took to it like a duck to water. This is a great wine and debut for the new label: fresh black fruit with a spicy spine of tannin and juicy finish. A new face for De Lucca‘s wine portfolio.

Catamayor, Single Barrel No 8

Coming from the excellent 2018 vintage, this is a single barrel selection from Catamayor’s Tannat coming from the schist soils of San José. This is a great wine: lovely bright fruit expression with fine tannins. Lots of vibrancy here but also with the added structure of some oak ageing. This is good now but will also cellar well.

April 10, 2022 0 comment

Daniel Pisano on the history of Uruguayan wine families

Uruguay Features Uruguay Wine Guide Wine

A family history in Uruguayan wine: Daniel Pisano interview

by Clorrie Yeomans July 19, 2019

written by Clorrie Yeomans

One of the most charming aspects of exploring Uruguayan wine is that most producers are wine families with a multi-generational history. Each winery has its own identity and style, defined by the different family tastes and often by their European ancestry. One of the most prominent wine families in the traditional Canelones region of Uruguay is the Pisano family. Today Pisano winery is run by three brothers – Daniel, Eduardo and Gustavo Pisano – who each take care of different aspects of the business (sales, viticulture and winemaking respectively).

In this video interview made in collaboration with Uruguay.Wine, Daniel Pisano discusses his experience and perspective of the family business and what makes Uruguayan wine unique.

Daniel Pisano interview: Pisano wines & Uruguayan wine legends

“My grandfather, Cesare Pietro Secundino Pisano, was the first to come to Uruguay in 1914. He started to plant his vineyard and later to make wine. I was born here and I have always been surrounded by wines of quality. But more important than quality, making wines with personality!

“Our wines are: Pisano first, then Uruguayan, then South American, then New World! It is a pleasure to be able to work as part of a family and share this experience with one another.

“Our vineyards are on the 35th parallel south; where we have good light intensity. Where we reach good maturity of tannins and alcohol; whilst maintaining good natural acidity. For me, that’s what makes the Uruguayan identity.

“You don’t have to correct the wines, the wines are natural. Every wine from every family is different. We can offer different, unique and personal wines, which come from the mind of the Pisano family and from our terroir. There are wine lovers who want to taste that kind of experience, don’t they? Uruguayan wine is an experience.

“We feel like wine chefs. We don’t manufacture. We don’t have a recipe. Our wines are like us, robust! We like to offer wines that we are proud of but we are not worried about perfection.

“Most importantly, we are searching for the feeling that wine lovers get from the wine. The feeling of arriving somewhere and seeing your bottle there. That’s part of the reward, and you enjoy that achievement. I’m not looking for any other life than this one.”

Read more about Pisano winery in our Uruguayan winery guide

Find out more about Uruguayan wine:

July 19, 2019 0 comment

Featured Wineries Featured Uruguay Canelones & Montevideo Wineries Uruguay Family

Pisano

by Amanda Barnes June 7, 2016

written by Amanda Barnes

Pisano winery makes some of the top premium wines in Uruguay, with three brothers following their family heritage of over a century making wines in Progreso in Canelones. The Pisano family shares an Italian and Basque heritage, although their grape varieties extend to Torrontés, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, and Tannat, of course. The innovative portfolio includes a range of still, sweet and sparkling wines.

About Pisano Family Vineyards

Pisano Family Wines in Uruguay — Daniel, Gustavo and Eduardo Pisano

First and foremost, Pisano is a family winery. “Pisano is a way of life,” says Daniel Pisano. “It’s not a business but a way of living, and we aren’t a company – we are a family. Our name goes onto every bottle of wine, and we live in the vineyard. We are children, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents in a small Uruguayan winery.”

Three brothers now spearhead operations: Gustavo, the winemaker; Eduardo, the agronomist; and Daniel, the export manager. Together they manage over 30 hectares of vineyards and create an innovative wine portfolio which reaches far and wide.

The family wine history in Uruguay begins in 1870 when Francesco Pisano arrived from La Liguria in Italy to Uruguay, and his son Don Césare Secundino Pisano moved to Progreso and planted vineyards there in 1914. It took ten years to make their first wine, in 1924, which was the first Pisano family vintage in Uruguay.

Today the family winery is in the hands of the fourth generation, brothers Daniel, Gustavo and Eduardo. Fifth-generation winemaker Gabriel Pisano also works with his father and uncles, making it a true family business. “As well as having one of the best terroirs in the region, we are a family of wine lovers and this is our life and passion!” explains Daniel Pisano. “Our philosophy is to have a family-sized production, and for our wines to reflect ourselves as people as well as our land and climate. Pisano Family Vineyards are unique because of the people behind each bottle.”

About the vineyards

Based in Progreso, in the heart of Canelones, the family has two vineyards which make up a total of 30 hectares. Viticulture uses a mixture of biodynamic, organic and IPM (Integrated Pest Management) techniques to best suit the particular plot and vintage.

About Pisano wines

Very much like the Pisano family, the portfolio of wines are full of personality with a diverse range of varieties and styles. From the jovial wines of Río de los Pájaros to the complex icon wines, there’s a wine style for most wine enthusiasts within their extensive portfolio.

GRAN RESERVA

The Gran Reserva wines of Pisano are top-of-range wines which are only made in the very best vintages and reflect the creme de la creme in that year. These wines include Axis Mundi Tannat and Pisano-Arretxea which are both aged for a minimum of 18 months in new French oak and 12 months in bottle before release. They aren’t pre-planned wines, but reflect Gustavo’s selection and intuition for the very best that vintage can produce.

ETXE ONEKO AND FÁBULA

The winery will also produce sweet wines on certain vintages, when the conditions are right. Extremely limited in production, Etxe Oneko is a late harvest Licor de Tannat and Fábula is a noble rot (botrytised) Torrontés and Viognier.

RPF – RESERVA PERSONA DE LA FAMILIA

RPF (Reserva Personal de la Familia) is a special line of premium wines which are limited in production and were originally made only for the family to drink. Today they make a little bit more so that others can enjoy these wines too… although the production is still boutique in size. The range includes Chardonnay, Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Petit Verdot.

RÍO DE LOS PÁJAROS

Río de los Pájaros is the flagship range of Pisano, which reflect the grape variety, Progreso terroir and aromatic fruit and freshness combined with structure and depth so typical in Uruguayan wines. The range includes single varietal wines of Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Torrontés, as well as a Cabernet Franc rosé and blends from Tannat-Syrah-Viognier and Tannat-Merlot. These are wines which are approachable in their youth, but can stand up to very serious meals on the table and age well too.

CISPLATINO

Cisplatino is the everyday range of Pisano which they produce with a focus of making these wines accessible to wine lovers of all budgets around the globe. Freshness and fruit expression are at the forefront of these wines, and the series inlcudes a Cabernet Franc rosé, Tannat, Torrontés and Tannat-Merlot blend.

About the winemaker, Gustavo Pisano

The winemaker of the family, Gustavo studied winemaking in Uruguay and has taken technical trips and done vintages in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and Alsace in France; the Piedmont, Venice and Tuscany in Italy; Penedés, Rioja and Jerez in Spain; Napa, Sonoma and Santa Barbara in the USA; Rio Negro, Mendoza and San Juan in Argentina; Maipo, Colchagua, Curico in Chile; and Serra Gaúcha in Brazil.

His innovative and creative spirit has led him to throw out the rule book with some of Pisano’s wines, including creating a sparkling red Tannat wine. Although Gustavo is keen to embrace and experiment with new techniques, he is a firm believer in keeping things simple in the winery: “We keep our winemaking equipment intentionally simple and we don’t have any big machines because we believe that winemaking should be as artisanal as possible,” says Gustavo Pisano. “It is a combination of tradition, intuition and common sense with modern winemaking technology in good measure.”

Visiting Pisano Family Vineyards

There isn’t any tourism per se at Pisano, but you can pop into the shop (open Monday through Friday) and one of the family is usually there on hand and will gladly show you around and help you to their wines.

Uruguay Wine – The Legends Series: Daniel Pisano from Uruguay Wine

June 7, 2016 0 comment

Featured Wineries Featured Uruguay Canelones & Montevideo Wineries Uruguay Boutique

Viña Progreso

by Pablo Ortiz June 6, 2016

written by Pablo Ortiz

Viña Progreso winery is a concept rather than a physical place. Winemaker Gabriel Pisano started to make more experimental wines and when a buyer snapped them up, he quickly had to make a legal company – although the wine production is between a couple different wineries in the Canelones region, with a main base in his family winery – Pisano.

Gabriel Pisano is one of the most promising young winemakers in Uruguay today. He is happy to break the rules and try new techniques and varieties, many of which result in wines of excellence. His experimentation with his family in sparkling Tannat is now a permanent wine in the Pisano portfolio, and his open barrel fermentation method for Tannat (and his icon wine Sueños de Elisa) is being adapted by many other winemakers around the country. Viña Progreso Bodega Experimental is a highlight in Uruguay’s contemporary wine scene, and Gabriel Pisano is one to watch.

About Viña Progreso Bodega Experimental

Gabriel Pisano started making his own wines in his personal project, Viña Progreso, in 2009. After various harvests around the US, Chile, South Africa and Spain, he decided to make his own experimental wines to explore different techniques and varieties in Canelones, Uruguay, where he grew up.

These are all vinos de autor, with a personal style and focused on respecting the fruit and variety and using minimum intervention in the winery. They are wines without any dogma and which embrace the spirit of experimentation and discovery.

About the Viña Progreso vineyards

As the name suggests, the grapes all come from Progreso in Canelones. Gabriel purchases grapes from different growers in the region, including his family’s 30-hectare estate Pisano Family Vineyards.

The region of Progreso is known for its gentle hilly slopes and clay-calcareous soils with a mild climate moderated by the maritime influence.

About Viña Progreso wines

Within the portfolio, Gabriel has two main lines: Underground and Overground. The gorgeous labels are all designed by his Aunt, Elisa, whose art reflects his free and creative style of winemaking.

UNDERGROUND

Underground is a line focused on exclusive and unique wines, usually made from Tannat, which are made in very limited qualities. Some of the key wines in this line include Sueños de Elisa, a Tannat made in an open barrel with native yeasts; an unoaked Barrel-less Tannat; and an Old Vines Tannat.

OVERGROUND

Overground is a line focused on the lesser-known grape varieties grown in Uruguay, including Sangiovese, Viognier, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, as well as Tannat.

About the winemaker, Gabriel Pisano

Quite literally born in the vineyards in 1983, Gabriel Pisano learnt to love the vines and winemaking from a very young age. He studied winemaking at the national viticulture school but believes most of his training came from his father and uncles at the family winery, Pisano, in Progreso.

It was here that he helped to create the world’s first sparkling red Tannat made with a traditional method, Brut Nature Tannat Negro. He was also instrumental in the development of Pisano’s EtXe OneKo late harvest Licor de Tannat, combining techniques used in making Port and Amarone.

Having worked harvests with David Ramey (Sonoma, California), Beyers Truter (Stellenbosch, South Africa), Dany de Wet (Robertson Valley, South Africa), at Clos Apalta (Colchagua, Chile) and at Mas Doix (Priorat, Spain), he has cultivated experience in different areas of the New and Old World and applied them to his winemaking in Uruguay.

A key part of Gabriel’s winemaking philosophy is to harvest the same grape at different periods in order to give him a palate of profiles to play with in looking for original aromas and flavours. He isn’t afraid to take risks, often using low or no sulphites and prefering native yeast ferments.

Viña Progreso Experimental Winery

Visiting Viña Progreso in Canelones

As the winery does not have a physical space, only rented areas, Viña Progreso is not open for visits. You can, however, visit Gabriel’s family winery Pisano where you can purchase some of the wines Gabriel makes in the family shop.

June 6, 2016 0 comment

The ultimate Latin American wine guide: Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia & Peru. Buy the book today!