Transforming Tannat

Tannat made its way to Uruguay in 1870 when Catalan immigrant Pascual Harriague planted 200ha in Salto. Since then it has become the country’s flagship. Known for its marked acidity and tannin, it is said to be the ‘healthiest’ wine variety in the world with the highest source of procyanidins (good for the arteries) and a polyphenol content twice that of Cabernet Sauvignon.

But good health doesn’t need to be hard to swallow, and Uruguayan winemakers have been focusing on taming Tannat in recent years.

You’ll find a handful of Tannat blends on the market that offer a new dimension to the traditional variety. Alto de la Ballena blends Tannat with Viognier; Marichal brings Pinot Noir into the mix; De Lucca adds Sangiovese and Nero d’Avola; and Marselan is a common blending component throughout the country’s wine industry.

Pure Tannat is also undergoing a transformation. At his experimental winery Viña Progreso, young winemaker Gabriel Pisano sparked a trend for open-barrel fermentation for Tannat, a technique also used by Bodegas Carrau for its top Tannat, Amat. More recently, Pizzorno became the first producer of a Beaujolais-style Tannat using carbonic maceration. Both offer a smoother and lighter winedrinking experience. But there is also a tendency to the other direction, as explored by Pablo Fallabrino at Viñedo de los Vientos with his Amarone-style Tannat, Angel’s Cuvée.

Tannat’s transformation reflects the overall change happening in Uruguayan wine today, as flying winemaker Paul Hobbs confirms: ‘ In the early 1990s I thought there wasn’t much reason to be excited about Uruguay. That’s changed, in a dramatic way!’ Uruguay has ‘ totally transformed’ in the past 10 years, he says: ‘ New investment, state-of-the-art technology and a young crowd of winemakers have breathed new life into the region. Frankly, I never imagined that Uruguay would ever put itself on the map, but now I think it will – especially with its Tannat.’