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.
Viña Progreso, Barrel-less Tannat 2020
Another in the new wave of no-sulphites-added Tannat, this is a lively wine from Gabriel Pisano of Viña Progreso. It shows how approachable Tannat can be without any need for oak ageing: with an energetic finish and fresh black fruit flavours and spice.
Pizzorno, Tannat Maceracion Carbonico 2021
Another of my ‘go-to’ young Tannat wines. Although you’ll normally wait a couple years before uncorking a Tannat, this innovative wine by Pizzorno – made with carbonic maceration – is absolutely designed to drink early. Hedonistic notes of violets on the nose with freshness and finesse, it’s a juicy wine to drink chilled in the day time.
New Tannat blends to explore
Artesana, Devoción 2020
Artesana have always been fond of Tannat blends, and this new blend is probably my favourite to date. Tannat, Cabernet Franc and Merlot are all vinified separately before they are blended together. There’s a lovely supple texture to this wine with great brightness of fruit and balance. A lovely drop and showing the exciting new direction of Artesana in grafting more Cabernet Franc in their vineyard (which is a great blending partner for Tannat).
Pisano, Tinto de Corte Pajaros Pintados 2018
2018 was a stellar vintage in Uruguay and Pisano‘s Tannat blend with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon shows the tremendous potential Uruguayan wine can have in these top vintages. With graphite-like tension and dark brooding fruit, it is complex but also has lovely acidity and freshness.
El Capricho, Aguara 2018
Another delicious wine from the fantastic 2018 vintage in Uruguay, and one that I think really shows El Capricho‘s great affinity not only for Tannat but also for Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon which weigh in on this blend. You get that riper fruit profile so typical of Durazno, but also lively acidity, a full body and an enticing spine of peppery tannin. A great Tannat blend for Tannat Day!
Campotinto, Born Free 2020
This Tannat and Marselan (25%) blend is a homage to Campotinto owner, Diego Viganó’s father, Mauro who died recently at 94-years-old. With a striking image of his handsome father on the label, it is a very personal wine. But it is also a very delicious wine! With a ripe, round fruit profile and a juicy finish, this is a wine to enjoy with friends and family.
Cerro Chapeu, Folklore Tinto 2020
This is the more experimental label of the Carrau family’s Cerro Chapeu winery in Rivera in northern Uruguay. Here Tannat has been fermented on the skins of white grape Petit Manseng (after it was pressed). The idea is that the skins help fix the colour of the Tannat, and with this inky wine it certainly has worked! But you also get nice bright fruit expression in this wine and a juicy finish. A Tannat blend for burgers.
Bouza, Monte vide eu 2019
Always a classic in the world of Tannat blends, this iconic wine from Bouza blended with Merlot and Tempranillo has been a favourite of mine for many years. The new vintage of 2019 shows a really lovely balance and has a mineral note to it with more freshness, now coming from more fruit in their Maldonado vineyards of Pan de Azucar and Las Espinas.
Barros de Mahoma, Corral de la Sierra Single Vineyard 2020
This is a very exciting family project in the fantastic terroir of Sierras de Mahoma, and this top blend comes with lots of Cabernet Franc in there as well as some Cabernet Sauvignon with Tannat. It has a lovely bloodiness and grip, which is typical of the region, with fine tannins and a long finish.
Gimenez Mendez, Buho Tannat 2020
Although this one says Tannat on the label, there’s a touch of Gamaret and Merlot in this wine which have been co-fermented with the Tannat from Las Brujas region. It is a mouthwatering wine with a nice ashiness and spicy finish. One for steak!
Antigua Bodega Uruguay, Protagonista 2020 Temporada 1
It’s a bit cheeky to include this in my recommended new Tannat blends, because there are so many other varieties in here (Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Marselan, Merlot, Sangiovese…) But it does have some Tannat in the blend, and it is an exciting new release, so I’m recommending it all the same! This is one of the more interesting projects of Antigua Bodega Uruguay (who are often quite experimental with blending). It is a massive co-ferment, which gets going with the earliest grape varieties and then new varieties get added in as they reach ripeness in the vineyard. The result is a very interesting, multi-layered and juicy blend. One that will keep you guessing as you enjoy it!
Happy Tannat Day!
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