Behind the Cork™ - Alto de la Ballena Reserva

2018 Alto de la Ballena Reserva Tannat-Viognier ($26)

Alto de la Ballena is a small winery founded by husband and wife Paula Pivel and Alvaro Lorenzo.

They began its plantations in 2001 with first harvest in 2005 and the first wines were presented to the market in 2007.

Located in the Sierra de la Ballena, 15 km (9.3 miles) from the coast, Alto de la Ballena combines oceanic air and mountain soils. There are just over 8 hectares (~20 acres) of Merlot, Tannat, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Viognier, for a limited production of high quality wines.

This wine is produced from both Tannat (85%) and Viognier (15%) grapes. This blending of a red wine grape with a white wine grape has many benefits. Both grape-types are hand picked and crushed into the same vat where, after macerating at low temperature for three days, they co-ferment. Then, the wine is then aged for nine months in American oak barrels. (14% ABV, Total Acidity: 6.1 g/L, pH: 3.4, RS: 1.9 g/L)

This 2018 Alto de la Ballena wine is medium ruby in color with medium aromas of red fruit and floral notes. On the palate this medium-full bodied wine has nice flavors of black and red fruit. The typically big and bold Tannat profile is definitely softened by the addition of the Viognier. But, it softens even more in the decanter for an hour. It has a medium-long finish.

This 2018 Alto de la Ballena Reserva Tannat-Viognier blend presents Tannat uniquely and is a must-try for Tannat lovers. And, at this price, it’s a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Media Sample Provided by Alto de la Ballena Bodega Y Viñedos

Behind the Cork™ - Pisano RPF Tannat

2020 Pisano RPF Tannat ($24)

Pisano is part of a group of small family wineries in Uruguay with an artisan tradition of making wines that reflect the character of the land and the people who make them. Pisano is located on the ‘Rio de la Plata’ near the Atlantic Ocean in southern Uruguay.

At Pisano, family hands cultivate the grapes, taking away excess crops in productive years, taking leaves away to expose the bunches to the sun for better maturation and skin color.

The RPF (Reserva Personal de la Familia) wines were created with the aim of keeping limited quantities for the family’s personal consumption. By giving some bottles to their friends, more people got to know about the RPF wines. These are now Pisano’s most exclusive and prestigious wines.

This 2020 Pisano RFP Tannat is produced from 100% Tannat that is grown in the City of Progreso, Department of Canelones, in Uruguay. It was aged 10-12 months in French oak barrels and approximately 6 months in the bottle.

This Pisano RFP Tannat is deep ruby in color with aromas of red and black fruits, notes of spice and a hint of bitter chocolate. On the palate has flavors of blackberries and raspberries, medium tannin and finishes balanced with jammy flavor. I expected that this Tannat would need considerable decanting time but was surprisingly drinkable right out of the bottle. It finishes very nicely.

If you are not familiar with the wines of Uruguay you really need to seek this one out. Pisano is making wines of excellent quality at very affordable prices. That make this Pisano RPF Tannat a great fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Media Sample Provided by Pisano Wines

Behind the Cork™ - Bodega Cerro del Toro Tannat

2020 Bodega Cerro del Toro Tannat ($25)

Bodega Cerro del Toro is a Uruguayan wine project that was born in 2016 with the aim of producing high-quality wines in a privileged location on the Maldonado coast of Uruguay.

The grapes for this Tannat were grow at the foot of Cerro del Toro (meaning ‘Bull Hill’), just over one mile from the coast in a microclimate with a deep influence of the sea breeze.

This wine was produced from 100% Tannat grapes that were destemmed and cold soaked for 24 hours. Fermentation was done in stainless steel tanks with selected yeast for 10 days. Pump-overs were carried out to control the desired extraction of aromas and flavors. The wine underwent malolactic conversion and had no contact with oak during aging. Just 8000 bottles were produced.

This 2020 Cerro del Toro Tannat is deep ruby in color with a medium nose of black fruits and some herbal notes. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has big dark fruit and red fruit flavors, medium-high acidity, bold tannin and finishes long with some spiciness.

Cerro del Toro Tannat is yet another fine example of the wines being produced in Uruguay and available throughout the U.S. With this quality and price-point, it’s a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Media Sample Provided by Bodega Cerro del Toro

Some Fun Facts about the Wine Grape Tannat

  • Tannat (tahn-naht) is a very old grape variety. It is believed to have originated in the Basque region of northwest Spain, as well as a centuries-old association with Madiran in southwest France.

  • In the late 19th century Tannat was taken to Uruguay by Basque immigrants, where it flourished, and has since become the national red grape variety of the country

  • In terms of worldwide production of Tannat, Uruguay is second only to France

  • In Uruguay, Tannat is also known as Harriague (Ha-ree-AH-gay), surname of the first producer to plant it in the country

  • Tannat is known to produce wine with big tannin. This is partly because the Tannat grape has very thick skin but also due to the fact that the Tannat grape is unique in that it has 4-5 seeds (pips) per berry while most other wine grapes only have 2-3. Grape skins and seeds are major contributors to the tannin in a wine

  • Tannat grapes are also relatively small, thus they have a high skin to pulp ratio

  • When winemakers age Tannat in oak barrels they often age it in “used” barrels (after 3-4 other wine-aging uses) to avoid introducing significant additional tannins

  • The upside to all this tannin in wines produced from Tannat is that they have great structure and aging potential

  • Tannat has been noted for its “Health Benefits” because it contains the highest levels of procyanidins and the phenolic compound Resveratrol of any grape variety. These characteristics are thought to provide cardiovascular benefits by reducing cholesterol and lipid levels when the wine is consumed in moderate quantities

Behind the Cork™ - Bodega Garzon Tannat Reserva

2021 Bodega Garzón Tannat Reserva ($18)

Located in the hills eleven miles from the Atlantic Ocean, Bodega Garzón is close to Punta del Este, La Barra and Jose Ignacio in the Maldonado region of southern Uruguay.

In 2018, they were named the New World Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast!

Their estate has more than 1,000 small vineyard blocks covering its hillside slopes.

Bodega Garzón Reserva wines are made of grapes harvested and classified by hand that are handled with extra care so they can express the variety and identity character of their terroir.

This 2021 Bodega Garzón Tannat (tahn-naht) Reserva is produced from 100% Tannat that was fermented in cement tanks and then aged 6 to 12 months in 50 HL (1320 gallon) untoasted French oak casks. It is deep ruby in color with aromas of dark fruit and spice. On the palate, this full-bodied Tannat has big flavors of black plum with a hint of raspberry and some spicy notes. It exhibits Tannat’s classic bold tannin, good acidity and a big finish. Note that this wine was decanted for more than one-hour prior to tasting to aid in the softening of the tannin. [ABV: 14%, Acidity: 5.6 g/L, pH: 3.67, Residual Sugar: 5.3 g/L]

Bodega Garzón is certainly one of the biggest if not the biggest producer in Uruguay and is widely available in the U.S. This nicely produced Tannat and its price-point make it a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Media Sample Provided by Bodega Garzón via Creative Palate Communications