The Tannat grape had its start in France, and it is still a fixture in the Madiran region. There it can make a big, brawny wine with lots of tannin and structure. Depending on the place it is grown and the winemaking, it can also make lighter wines, with vibrant fruit. Winemakers are experimenting with it around the globe, and we even have a winery in our home state of North Carolina that uses it extensively (read about that here). A cross between Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon called Arinarnoa is now approved in Bordeaux,. You might start to see that creep into Bordeaux blends a few years from now.
Where it really takes center stage is in Uruguay. There it is the signature grape of the country, and you can find both the big guns and the lighter versions. They do it well, and they do a lot of it. You can read more about the Uruguayan wine industy, and the role of Tannat, by clicking here. We’ve tasted a number of these over the last few years and have really enjoyed them. Here, we get a chance to review five more Tannats from Uruguay.
Here are the wines:
2022 Estableceimiento Jaunico Don Pascual Coastal Tannat: the vineyards here are less than 30 km from
the sea and they work to maximize the extraction from the skins where the effects of the maritime climate are most pronounced. The color is a medium ruby, with a nose of ripe red fruit, more of a mulberry or plum type fruit. There’s a little spice and black pepper. It’s got an edge and is almost tart. Good length here as well. Think of this with hard cheese. It’s a good value at $16. We had some neighbors and friends try this a well, and they thought it was spicy and peppery, and enjoyed it. $16
2023 Castel Pujol Folklore Tinto: this has 20% of Petit Manseng grape skins in it, crushed with the Tannat. The Cerro Chapeu region is about 250 meters above sea level, with a more continental climate. It is
hotter and drier here, with a big diurnal range. The wine is medium ruby in color, with aromas of raspberry, cherry and something tropical, which is different. There are floral notes. Brisk acid and medium tannins frame a very floral finish. It is an excellent food wine. With some air time this gets smoother and a bit richer. Decant for an hour. $23. Did it pass the friend and neighbor test? Yes! They mentioned blackberry, plum and vanilla, and this was their clear favorite among these first three wines.
2020 Vina Progreso Revolution Tannat: the grapes here come from many small plots in the Progreso village district. The wine is aged in second year barrels for 3-4 months, which depends on the concentration of the individual vintage. This is beatiful in the glass, light ruby and transparent. It has a strong herbal component, along with red raspberry strawberry and toasted nuts. Also some floral notes, medium body and good acid. We tried this with dark chocolate and it was a great pairing. Another good food wine as well. Our friends found some plum, smoke and earthiness as well, so it is complex. $18
2020 Bouza Tannat: the grapes here are individually selected, and we do mean down to the individual grape. 
Ater a long maceration and fermentation in steel tanks, this spends 14 months in French and American oak barrels. The juice is a dark purple red, with a rich, complex nose featuring blackberry, mocha, caramel and tobacco. It is full bodied, if a little tight at first right out of the bottle. Tannins are medium and it is very long. We let this sit overnight after pumping, and it continued to blossom over two more days. It got richer, smoother and seamless, and went from a very good wine to an excellent one. We highly recommend this and also recommend you decant it for two hours. $27 and a great value there.
2020 “Montes Toscanini” Gran Tannat Premium: our last wine in this group is the most expensive, and a wine we have tried before in an earlier vintage. Dark purple red in color, this features blueberry, flowers and
tobacco. Out of the bottle it is medium+ in body, with brisk acid that almost seems a little harsh. The mid-palate fades a bit quickly. As with the wine above, just give this time. The next day it was better, the third day with a vacuvin cap and a quick pump it was pretty awesome. Much richer, and the mid-palate filled in nicely. It was still fresh with balancing acid though. Quite excellent but another wine that really should be decanted for a couple of hours before serving. $50 and worth it. Maybe slightly less impressive than the previous vintage, but not by much.
Tannat is an underappreciated grape, relatively unknown to many. This is something Uruguay is out to change, and the quality of their wine is going to do that eventually. Some things just take time.
Explore a little wider in the wine world by trying some Uruguayan Tannat. It’s easier to find than it used to be.
A votre santé!
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