Our first two Tannats hailed from South America, and while they were good (and one made the value list) they were not the big, tannic, dark wines the grape is known for historically. You can read about them here and here. We have not been able to get our hands on a bottle from the Madiran region of France yet, but we will. For now we have this bottle, which comes from Lodi and follows a line of reds we have tried from this producer which we really like and which are inevitably big, rich reds. This is no exception. It’s in a different league than the first two, and is priced commensurately. Here are the notes.
Wine: 2010 Michael David Inkblot Tannat
Winery Location: Lodi, California
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: March 2014
Tasting Notes: – we have had the Inkblot Cabernet Franc before, and it was one of our favorite wines at the Mohegan Sun Winefest (read about that here). Michael David makes a range of excellent reds, a lot of which include a dollop of Petit Sirah. This does not, as it is 100% Tannat. While the Argentinian and Uruguayan versions were lighter in color and body, this wine is dark, dark purple red to the rim and almost opaque. Swirl it and there are heavy legs, so we’re expecting some significant alcohol. On the nose there is a hint of pork fat, blackberry and the traditional rasberry. The wood is subtle. In the mouth this is full bodied and unctuous. It coats your mouth. Dark fruit, bacon and oak come through, with tannins that are present but not overpowering. It is a little hot, and checks in with 15.5% alcohol. The finish is very, very long. This is serious stuff, and we loved it. Another not too tannic Tannat, but a much bigger wine and a different quality level than the first two.
Price Point – $35, which is where the Inkblot series checks in.
Would We Buy It? – we would. We bought this bottle to evaluate in the Tannat series, but it is worth having one or two in the cellar. While it’s certainly not in our everyday budget, it is worthy of special occasions. Yummy, long and luscious. Definitely recommended.
So this is by far the best of the three Tannats, but that is somewhat unfair as the price is not in line with the first two. We’re still working on lining up a traditional version from Madiran. When that happens we’ll close out the series. Until then, we suggest you try some Tannat.
A votre sante!
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