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

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

Behind the Cork™ - Domaine Bousquet Ameri Wines

The fruit for the Bousquet Estate Vineyards was originally planted in 1998 on virgin terrain in the Uco Valley’s Alto Gualtallery zone at an altitude of about 4,125 feet. With its high-altitude wines recognized for their freshness, vibrant aromatics and fruit-forward qualities, Gualtallary is acquiring a reputation as a source of Mendoza’s and indeed Argentina’s finest quality wines.  

Named for co-owner Labid Al Ameri, Domaine Bousquet’s “Ameri” wines are only made in exceptional years and exclusively from selected grape clusters harvested from the estates’ best vineyard.

2020 Ameri Red Blend ($27)

Ameri Red Blend debuted with the 2011 vintage. Each bottle as been individually numbered since 2018. This wine is produced from 60% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, and 10% Merlot. It underwent a four-day cold maceration followed by a 14-day fermentation in oak with selected yeasts. This is followed by another 20-day maceration and malolactic conversion. Finally, it is aged 16 months in French oak before bottling and release. It is medium purple in color with soft aromas of dark fruit and cedar. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has good flavors of rich black and red fruits and finishes with nice sweet and spicy notes. (ABV: 14.5%, Total Acidity: 5.17 gm/L, pH: 3.68, Residual Sugar: 1.74 gm/L)

 2020 Ameri Malbec ($27)

The Ameri Malbec is a new development at Domaine Bousquet. It started with the 2019 vintage when Domaine Bousquet winemaker Rodrigo Serrano determined that the Ameri Red Blend component wines were presenting so well that the time had come to showcase them individually, starting with the Malbec. It is medium purple in color with pleasant aromas of black berry, plum and red fruit along with sweet tobacco. On the palate, this medium-full-bodied wine exhibits nice rich dark fruit flavors, medium tannin and acidity and finishes smooth, soft and lean with hints of cocoa. (ABV: 14.5%, Total Acidity: 5.25 gm/L, pH: 3.67, Residual Sugar: 1.91 gm/L)

Domaine Bousquet is making great wines from their vineyards in Argentina, but these two Ameri wine are yet another step-up in excellence. And, at these prices, these wines are a great fit as Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Cheers!

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

Media Samples Provided by Domaine Bousquet, Origins Organic Imports and Creative Palate Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Muse Vineyards Petit Verdot

2020 Muse Vineyards Petit Verdot ($41)

Muse Vineyards is located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, just 90 minutes from Washington DC.

Muse Vineyards sits at an elevation of 1,000 feet and rests on Virginia shale and rocky red clay soils. The top vineyard sits on a terrace formed millions of years ago by the Shenandoah River that today flows one hundred feet below.

Muse’s proprietors are husband and wife, Robert Muse and Sally Cowal. Robert is an international lawyer who (as an Arizonan) trained as a barrister in England. Sally is a former United States ambassador who is now Senior Vice President of Global Cancer Control at the American Cancer Society. They established Muse Vineyards in 2005.

This Muse Vineyards Petit Verdot is produced from 100% Petit Verdot. It is deep ruby in color with a medium-high nose that includes black cherry and floral notes of violets and lilac. On the palate, this full-bodied wine is dry (13.5% ABV) with medium tannin and medium acidity, has rich dark fruit flavors and a nice spicy-jammy finish.

This 2020 Muse Vineyards Petit Verdot was a recent 4th place award winner in the Shenandoah Cup Awards. This is a very nice wine at a very affordable price which makes 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 Muse Vineyards via the Shenandoah Valley Wine Growers Association and Donna White Communications