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

Uruguay's Wine Country

Continuing with the theme of wines of Uruguay, here’s a listing of their wine producing regions and the overall wine grape planting percentages of each sub-region (which are also knows as “Departments”):

  • Northern Riverside (light brown regions): Artigas (0.1%), Salto (0.9%) and Paysandú (1.9%)

  • Southern Riverside (light purple regions): Rio Negro (<0.01%), Soriano (0.1%) and Colonia (5.1%)

  • Metropolitan (Yellow regions): San José (4.7%), Canelones (67%) and Montevideo (12%)

  • Northern (Green regions): Rivera (0.5%) and Tacuarembó (0.1%)

  • Central (Dark Brown regions): Durazno (0.3%), Florida (0.3%), Lavalleja (0.1%) and Treinta y Tres (<0.01%)

  • Oceanic (Blue regions): Rocha (0.3%) and Maldonado (7%)

As you can see by the percentages, the Metropolitan region accounts for nearly 84% of all grape plantings in Uruguay.

While there are many great cities to visit across the wine regions of Uruguay, here are three that are well worth a visit:

MONTEVIDEO

The capital city of Uruguay is also the epicenter of viticultural gastronomy. The metropolitan area contains two thirds of the country’s vineyards, making it easy to visit some of the country’s most fabled wineries.

In the Ciudad Vieja (old city), a walk through the pedestrian district, from the Cabildo de Montevideo to Plaza Zabala, is an excellent introduction to historic Montevideo, within what was the walled city built in 1724. The port market a few blocks away is an excellent place to enjoy lunch. La Rambla, which runs along the edge of the city, offers another perspective on the life that bustles within, especially between Parque Rodó and Punta Carretas. At sunset, the pink granite of the walk lights up to create an enchanting atmosphere for Montevideans to begin their evening. Pocitos and the surrounding area is a great place to enjoy dinner. Wineries worth visiting include the classic Carrau, and the more modern Bouza and Pizzorno Winery. A little further away, in Juanicó, one finds Familia Deicas/Establecimiento Juanicó, one of Uruguay’s most historic wineries.

PUNTA DEL ESTE

The most famous city in Maldonado is also an obligatory stop on the wine tour. A couple of Punta del Este’s major attractions, along with the avant-garde architecture of its hotels, are two different versions of the sea: a calm one, found at a long beach stretching to the west along the Río de la Plata, with barely perceptible waves, and a wilder incarnation that runs north along the Atlantic shore. José Ignacio is a lovely town to visit along this coast. Inland, down rural roads, one finds wineries set in the hilly, sierra landscape. Wineries worth visiting include Garzón, Alto de la Ballena, Bodega Oceánica, and Viña Edén. In addition, there is Bracco Bosca in the Canelones region on the way to Punta del Este in Atlántida. All were founded within the last 20 years and make wines for export. The newest winery is Cerro del Toro in Piriápol is in the Maldonado region.

COLONIA

Colonia del Sacramento is the capital city of the Department of Colonia and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. With its colonial architecture, cobbled streets, and tiled roofs, it doesn’t look too different to when it was founded back in 1680 on the shore of the Río de la Plata. Several wine and cheese makers are located in the surrounding area. Los Cerros de San Juan, the oldest winery in Uruguay, was founded in 1854 and is fifteen minutes away on the road to Carmelo. Housed in a recently refurbished stone building, its pulpería (seafood) restaurant is a journey into the past. Carmelo, meanwhile, is a peaceful town at the mouth of the River Uruguay. It boasts old vineyards, as well as more modern ones, along with luxury hotels and several country inns. The wineries aren’t too far away and can be visited by bicycle, except for Narbona, which is a little more remote. Campotinto, Almacén de la Bodega Cordano and El Legado are small, family-run wineries that have appeared in recent years. Familia Irurtia, in contrast, has a more industrial past that it is now looking to revive.

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