Tannat

This is a dessert wine made in Uruguay from the Tannat grape.  It is aromatized with different roots and herbs and then fortified with brandy to 16% abv.  The base wine is aged for 24 months in French oak barrels.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is very different with caramel, cherries, chocolate and spices.  On the palate, cherries with vanilla and chocolate.  Sweet, not cloying.  Slight heat on the finish.  Very interesting and tasty as well.  This would  work well with chocolate desserts.  Drink over the next twenty years.  

This is 80% Tannat and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from the southwest of France.  It is still young and in need of time.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, black cherries, spice and black licorice.  Full bodied with firm tannins.  On the palate, this is deep and complex if hiding behind the tannins.  Black cherry fruit with some black cherries and licorice.  Strong acidity.  Long finish if a bit drying.  Give this wine another five years and then drink over the next ten to fifteen.  It needs big food.  Coq au Vin would work well.  Plenty of upside to the score with

This is a Tannat wine from Argentina.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has spice, black raspberries, and some oak showing.  A lovely texture.  Black raspberry fruit.  It is sweet, more than just ripe.  Not dessert like but certainly seems like some residual sugar in the wine.  Looking back at a note I wrote on this wine in 2017, it is consistent.  This probably drinks better on its own due to the sweetness but perhaps a chocolate desert would work.  Drink over the next few years.  Those who enjoy a hint of sweetness will like this more than I.  

This is a step up in price from the regular bottling and while a nice wine, the 2019 Reserva is the better wine for less money (a note is posted on this site).  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has some shoe polish/volatile acidity along with spice, black cherries and slight licorice.  Very light, almost resolved tannins.  Black cherry fruit.  This drinks very easily and seems to be at peak.  Drink over the next few years.  It will work well with pizza.  

In a recent tasting of ten Tannat wines, this finished first.  Pretty impressive for a wine that can be found under $15.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, black licorice, a hint of sour cherries and slight spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  For such a young Tannat, this was quite accessible.  On the palate, black cherry fruit with just a bit of bell pepper.  Nice finish.  This probably should be consumed over the next three to five years.  It will work well with roasted chicken or even game.  

This was a delicious wine using Tannat grapes and made in the Ripasso method.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, spice and slight raisin notes.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is a bit jammy (oddly, the label said Rhubarb Marmalade), with black cherries and again, just a hint of raisin.  Tannic.  Good acidity.  Dry.  Long finish.  There is a nice complexity here as well.  Tasted in a group, this seemed to be a love it or hate it wine, but I loved it.  Drink over the next eight to twelve years.  This would work well with pasta with a meat sauce.  

Tasted blind in a tasting of Tannat wines, this was ten years older than the other wines and nothing suggested that this was the "old" wine.  Still very youthful.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, xmas spice, and baking spices.  On the palate, medium firm tannins.  Black raspberry fruit with some xmas spice.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is drinking well but still not yet at peak.  It should continue to drink well for ten to fifteen more years.  It needs hearty food.  Ossobuco with polenta would work well.

From the home of the Tannat grape.  This wine is 100% Tannat aged for two years in steel tanks.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has strong X-mas spice notes along with black raspberries and a slight saw dust note (interesting as the wine sees no oak).  It has a lush texture with strong acidity.  Fresh black cherry fruit.  Firm tannins.  Long finish.  The question for this wine is whether the tannins fade before the fruit.  It will work better with heartier foods such as a beef stew or vegetarian chili.  Drink over the next four to seven years.  

A Tannat from Uruguay.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is earthy with boysenberries and some baking spice.  On the palate, black cherry fruit with some cigar tobacco notes.  Medium tannins.  Moderate finish.  This is an easy drinking wine that is more accessible than many Tannat wines.  It would work well with pasta with a meat sauce.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

Uruguay is making the Tannat grape its own and there are more and more on the market.  14% ABV.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries with baking spices.  On the palate, strong acidity.  Nice texture.  Firm tannins.  The palate has black cherry fruit.  A long finish.  There is some value here.  This should drink better with food to counter the tannins.  Cassoulet would be a nice match.  Drink over the next five to seven years.